Ex-MP Juwaihel jailed in libel suit
‘Avenues’ murder case hearing set
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 27: The Misdemeanor Court has sentenced former MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel to one month in prison with hard labor and execution. The court presided over by Judge Mohammad Ja’afar ordered Al-Juwaihel to pay KD 5,000 as compensation and legal fee to former MP Hamad Al-Matar, following lawsuit the latter filed against Al-Juwaihel at Salhiya Police Station for insult and abuse.
According to case 298/2012, Al-Matar was allegedly defamed and insulted in the presence of other lawmakers by AlJuwaihel during a parliamentary session.
Meanwhile, the same court sentenced a lawyer to one year in jail with hard labor and KD 2,000 bail bond to suspend execution of verdict.
The case file indicates that 7 judges sued the defendant for attacking the judiciary, while the cyber crime section of the Criminal Investigations Department summoned the lawyer to defend himself over the petition filed against him.
The judges alleged the lawyer posted tweets on the social networking site to insult the Kuwaiti judiciary, but he denied the allegation and argued he did not target the Kuwaiti judiciary but some Arab judiciaries where revolutions have taken place. Hearing set: The Criminal Court on March 3 will look into the case of three persons accused of killing a LebaneseKuwaiti doctor at the Avenues Mall.
Court files indicate one of the accused told investigators that he had a heated argument with the victim in the parking area of the mall. After the argument, he took a knife and then stabbed the doctor in selfdefense as the latter allegedly beat and insulted him in front of his friends. He then dumped the knife into a garbage bin and went to his house in Sulaibiya. He later went to a friend’s camp site in Juleia. He did not know that the doctor died until another friend called him, so he thought of escaping through the Kuwait-Saudi border.
However, when the three suspects appeared in court, they denied the charge, claiming they had no intention to kill the doctor. Hearing postponed: The Criminal Court adjourned until March 27 the hearing on a State Security case filed against Sara Idriss who has been accused of insulting the Amiri status on Twitter.
Idriss has also been charged with divulging false information and misusing her mobile phone. She was released on bail of KD1,000 upon completion of the investigation procedures.
Meanwhile, the same court postponed until April 10 the deliberations on a State Security case filed against the news crew of Al-Yawm Satellite TV Channel as it needs to view a video clip of the news program in which the accused read a statement attributed to the Majority Bloc. The act is considered a way of disrupting public security.
The defendants’ lawyers, Attorneys Mohammad Al-Hamidi and Abeer AlHaddad, had previously argued in court that their clients respected Articles 36 and 37 of the Constitution when the statement was broadcasted. They also pointed out that the Audio-Visual Law guarantees freedom of expression, provided it is not intended for defaming others.