The United Nations human rights office slammed Bahraini regime decision to revoke nationality of a leading Shia Cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassem.

The United Nations human rights office slammed Bahraini regime decision to revoke nationality of a leading Shia Cleric, Sheikh Issa Qassem.

Bahrain's decision to revoke the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the kingdom's Shi'ite Muslim majority is "clearly unjustified" under international law, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights office said on Tuesday.

"Given that due process was not followed, it cannot be justified," Ravina Shamdasani told a UN briefing in Geneva, Reuters news agency reported.

"It is clearly unjustified."

Manama stripped Sheikh Qassem of his citizenship on Monday, accusing him of sowing "sectarianism and violence."

Angered protesters across the Persian Gulf Kingdom took into streets, expressing solidarity with Sheikh Qassem.

The move follows the suspension of Bahrain's main opposition group, al-Wefaq, whose political chief Sheikh Ali Salman is serving a nine-year jail term on charges of inciting violence.