Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Former Deputy President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Salem Mohammad Salem Al-Kuwari cannot leave Bahrain, as he is being banned from travel after the authorities withheld his passport.

This former high-ranking Bahraini judicial official is being prevented by the Bahraini authorities from traveling over fear of his departure with his family to live in Qatar near his tribe, which is deemed one of closest families to the Al Thani rulers of Qatar.

Al-Kuwari, 71, was made to retire in 2017, just one month after the onset of the Gulf crisis with Qatar, which many considered an indication of the lack of trust in the man and his tribe, whose members in Doha hold a seat near the Al Thani family.

About one month before his retirement, the King of Bahrain offered him a villa on Durra Island, worth approximately 500,000 dinars, in return for his service to the ruling family. However, the eyes of the ruling family seem to have stayed fixated on him, for they have now stripped him of his passport.

The Al Khalifa family has repeatedly complained that Qatar is naturalizing members of tribes very close to state authorities. This came after Doha granted citizenship to members of a number of families: Al-Jalahma, Al-Muhannadi, and Al-Suwaidi.

Why isn't Salem Al-Kuwari allowed to choose his place of residence, whether it be Bahrain or abroad? Why does the regime consider any citizen close to it opting to leave as a traitor, as it did with a number of Al-Jalahma family members who chose to depart previously?

The failure of the Bahraini political and economic system, the state of hardship, lack of opportunities, austerity in terms of the services provided to citizens and the regime's preference for foreigners reflected on the mood of the people of Bahrain, Shiites and Sunnis alike, so some Sunnis who were able to join their tribes in the countries of the Gulf began aspiring to so.

The Bahraini authorities may deny this, but what is certain is that the man's passport was taken from him so that he would not be able to travel, wanting a better life for his family.

The question here poses itself: If this is how the Bahraini regime deals with those close to it, how do we expect to treat its opponents?

Arabic Version