Court imposes fine on local cleric for anti-Shia comment
Six Arab expats held for offending Kuwait
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: The Criminal Court ordered the Kuwaiti cleric Othman Al-Khamees to pay a fine of KD 20,000 in a case filed against him by the Public Prosecution based on a petition submitted by Attorney Hani Hussein to the State Security Department over the allegation that Al-Khamees made an offensive remark about the Shiite sect.
Attorney Hani Hussein petitioned the State Security Department, accusing Al-Khamees of violating national unity by depicting Shiites as unfaithful during an interview broadcasted in the month of Ramadan.
In a separate case, the Court of Appeals cancelled the verdict issued by the Court of First Instance, which sentenced the Kuwaiti blogger Abdulrahman AlAjmi to four years jail term with hard labor. The court instead acquitted the defendant of allegedly defaming His Highness the Amir of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ajmi was arrested in March for inciting the public against the ruling authority, for defaming HH the Amir, expressing hostility against Saudi Arabia and spreading false information.
Barghash nationality: The Court of Appeals Tuesday decided the First Instance Court had no jurisdiction to look into the case relating to the withdrawal of citizenship from “Al-Bargash family”.
The First Instance court ruled against the decision to withdraw the citizenship and ordered Government to pay temporary compensation of KD 5,001 to the family.
In Tuesday’s verdict, the court stated that Al-Bargash (the head of the family) did not receive Kuwaiti nationality until after his death, which means his children did not naturalize on paternal basis. Therefore, the citizenship of his children was granted by the concerned administration, and Article two of citizenship law does not apply in this case.
The court affirmed that Government has no right to withdraw citizenship from any citizen who received it through paternal basis.
The case was filed on the assumption that Al-Bargash family received their citizenship paternally, and the citizenship of a ruling family member was reinstated based on the fact that his father was a Kuwaiti.
In the previous sessions, the Government refused to give the reasons behind the withdrawal of the citizenship of the Bargash family, maintaining that the court had no jurisdiction to look at the case, and “what the government withdrew was the citizenship certificate and not the citizenship itself”.
Six arrested: Six Egyptian expats have been arrested for posting offending remarks about Kuwait, including Kuwaiti institutions and people, via their personal accounts on social network media, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Wednesday.
Security forces arrested Ahmad Al-Sayed Farah, Ahmad Jaber Abdulsalam, Mohammad Faraj Salim, Tariq Abdulhameed Abdulhakeem, Mohammad Obaid Al-Esharri, and Abdulrahman Mohammad Ahmad, the ministry’s security media department said in a statement.
The arrested have posted enticing messages directed to the Egyptian community in the country, encouraging them to go on strike, hatred, and revenge for a recent violent scuffle incident between Egyptian residents and Kuwaiti citizens in Hawally Governorate, said the statement.
Their act is a clear violation of the country’s law, public order offence, and breach of security, in addition to endangering the lives of citizens and residents, and disabling public and private interests, the ministry affirmed.
They will be referred to competent investigation agencies, the statement noted, reiterating the ministry’s determination and continued efforts to prevent any misconduct that would disrupt Kuwait’s public security.
The ministry also warned of the misuse of social network media, affirming everybody’s equality before the law. (KUNA)
Yemeni killed: A Yemeni died and a citizen was injured in a two-vehicle collision on Wafra Road, says AlSeyassah.
Securitymen and paramedics rushed to the location after the Operations Room in the Ministry of Interior received a report about the incident. The Yemeni’s remains were taken to Forensics and the injured citizen was admitted to Adan Hospital.
In another incident, a 23year-old citizen was rushed to Jahra Hospital as he was injured when his car collided with another along the Sixth Ring Road, opposite Saad AlAbdullah.