UNITED NATIONS: A UN human rights expert called upon Bahrain to stop the harassment and persecution of a Shia leader who was reportedly forced to leave the country following threats from state security agents to arrest him and his sont.

Heiner Bielefeldt, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, says he has received reliable information that Hussain Mirza Abdelbaqi Najati was forced to leave for Lebanon on April 23 after being exposed to “enormous pressure and harassment” by Bahrain authorities.

“Targeting the most senior and influential Shia religious figure in Bahrain may amount to intimidating and thus discriminating against the entire Shia Muslim community in the country because of its religious beliefs,” the expert said in statement.

Mr Najati is one of 31 individuals whose Bahraini citizenship was revoked by the Ministry in November 2012, a decision that rendered him stateless.

The Special Rapporteur urged the government to reverse its decision, which he said appear to be arbitrary, and to facilitate Mr Najati’s return from Lebanon.