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On the fourth anniversary of protests aimed at reforming Bahrain鈥檚 autocratic monarchy, recent events鈥攊ncluding 72 people being stripped of citizenship for 鈥渉arming the interests of the Kingdom鈥濃�攗nderscore a worrisome trend: The rights of people in the Middle East are shrinking rather than expanding.

On Jan. 31, Bahrain published a list of Sunni and Shiite Muslims accused of misdeeds against the state and announced it had revoked their citizenship to 鈥減reserve security and stability and fight the danger of terrorist threats.鈥� A legislative decree in 2013 granted the state authority to render people stateless for violations of the country鈥檚 2006 Anti-Terrorism Act.

The Middle East is not the only place where citizenship is suspended as punishment. Britain passed legislation last year that allows the government to revoke the citizenship of convicted or even suspected terrorists. But in Arab states such laws are being written and applied broadly to all kinds of dissidents, even those who simply disagree with a government鈥檚 policies.

Human Rights Watch sounded alarms last summer when Bahrain authorized its Interior Ministry to abrogate citizenship from individuals who 鈥渃ause harm to the interests of the Kingdom.鈥� Such a catch-all provision is ripe for abuse, especially in a country that imprisons activists for tweets. (The kingdom also suspended a news channel this month that had hosted an opposition figure criticizing the citizenship suspensions.)

Those whose citizenship was nullified last month include people with links to Islamic State but also exiled democratic activists, including one who caused offense by protesting against the king of Bahrain at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and a blogger who escaped Bahrain in a shipping container in 2013.

Similar actions are taking place around the region. Last year Kuwait stripped at least 33 citizens of their nationality, among them a fundraiser for ISIS but also the owner of a television station and newspapers that allowed opposition activists to speak out. The government of Egypt voided the citizenship of senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar last year and recently offered Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy the option of  renouncing his Egyptian nationality in exchange for being granted bail after 400 days in prison on trumped-up charges related to terrorism. Following the example of its neighbors, Oman passed a law in August authorizing the withdrawal of citizenship from those belonging to 鈥渁 group, party or organization professing principles and beliefs harmful to Oman.鈥� With the sultan ailing, members of the opposition could become fair game should they speak out.

These practices violate customary international law, as groups such as Human Rights Watch have documented. Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that 鈥淓veryone has the right to a nationality鈥� and that 鈥淣o one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.鈥� Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights holds that 鈥淣o one shall be arbitrarily deprived of the right to enter his own country.鈥� Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt are parties to these covenants.

Yet, as the Economist reported in November, 鈥淐ourts in Bahrain and Kuwait have ruled that they have no jurisdiction over decisions on nationality. Oman鈥檚 law stipulates that a government committee should deal with the matter outside the judicial system.鈥� In short, the euphoria of the Arab Spring is turning into a winter of misery.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors.