Bahraini authorities are tightening their grip on civil society by targeting the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), one of the leading rights organizations in the country. The move comes as Bahrainis have faced increasingly severe restrictions on their political and social activities since the violent crackdown on mass pro-democracy protests in 2011.

The government now apparently seeks to control all manner of civil society organizations, from human rights groups to cultural and sports clubs. Its seeming goal is to purge all members of banned political organizations from public life, using draconian laws...