The authorities continued to unduly restrict the rights to freedom of expression and association. Members of the stateless Bidun minority remained unable to access a range of public services. With the spread of COVID-19, residence permit violators were granted a month’s amnesty, allowing them to...

On 31 January 2024, a Kuwaiti Court of Appeal convicted and sentenced Mohammad al-Barghash, a defender of the rights of the stateless Bidun community in Kuwait, to three years in prison on charges that include “spreading false news” after he conducted an interview with a foreign broadcasting...

On 20 September, the Misdemeanours Court of Cassation upheld a sentence of one year’s imprisonment and deportation of ‘Abdulhakim al-Fadhli, a defender of the rights of the stateless Bidun community in Kuwait, for charges relating to a peaceful demonstration held in 2012. On 24 September,...

Bidun human rights defender ‘Abdulhakim al-Fadhli was released from Kuwait Central prison on 2 August after serving the remainder of a three month prison sentence for “misusing his phone”. He is now awaiting the verdict of the Misdemeanours Court of Cassation on 22 September on the separate charge...

A Kuwaiti appeal court issued its verdict on 21 July in the “Abdali Cell” case. It upheld a life sentence, a five-year prison sentence and a death sentence against individuals convicted of charges including “spying for Iran and Hizbullah”. Nine defendants were acquitted and other sentences were...

Bidun human rights defender ‘Abdulhakim al-Fadhli had his one-year prison sentence suspended on 14 June. The court will review his case on 22 September to issue its verdict. He remains in prison to serve a separate sentence of three months. He was beaten by policemen as he was transferred from the...

Human rights defender and member of the stateless Bidun community ‘Abdulhakim al-Fadhli had his one-year imprisonment sentence followed by deportation upheld by the Court of Cassation on 16 May. He has been on hunger strike since his arrest on 18 April.

Member of the stateless Bidun community and human rights defender ‘Abdulhakim al-Fadhli has been held at Kuwait’s Central Prison since 18 April. Arrested for alleged public order offences, he has been on hunger strike since his arrest. He may be at risk of ill-treatment.

Former Kuwaiti opposition MP Saleh al-Mulla was acquitted by the Appeal Court on 9 March of “insulting the Amir of Kuwait and the President of Egypt” on his Twitter account.

Kuwaiti human rights activist Nawaf al-Hendal was acquitted on 1 March, along with 10 other men, of charges including “illegal gathering”.

The Kuwaiti Criminal Court issued its verdict on 12 January against 26 defendants on charges including “spying for Iran and Hezbollah”. A Kuwaiti man and an Iranian national were sentenced to death, one man was sentenced to life in prison and 19 others to between five and 15 years. The trial did...

Kuwaiti brothers Mohammad and Abdullah al-Hussaini and at least 20 other men, on trial since 15 September, have told a court they were tortured to make them ‘confess’. They have been charged with ‘spying for Iran and Hezbollah’ and preparing to attack the state.

Former Kuwaiti MP Musallam al-Barrak was arrested on 13 June to serve a two-year prison sentence on charges relating to a speech he had made in October 2012. He is a prisoner of conscience.