ASSOCIATED PRESS-- Sheikh Isa Qassim returned to his home in Diraz on Sunday. He was hospitalized after suffering from a hernia.

Sheikh Maytham al-Salman, of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said Qassim may need further surgeries.

The cleric could be deported at any time after authorities stripped his citizenship in June 2016 over accusations that he fueled extremism and laundered money. His supporters deny the allegations.

Bahrain's Sunni rulers are cracking down on all dissent on the Shia-majority island, imprisoning or forcing politicians and activists into exile.

Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.