Three-Year Jail Term for Kuwaiti over Posts Insulting Amir and Gulf Leaders

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 3: The State Security Circuit of the Court of Appeal has issued several judgments and decisions in state security cases, including sentencing a Kuwaiti citizen to three years in prison over Instagram posts found to contain offences against the Amir, Gulf leaders and national unity.

The court was presided over by Judge Abdullah Al-Sanea, with Judges Mishaal Al-Mutawa and Saud Al-Mutairi as members.

In the first case, the court sentenced a citizen to three years in prison for publicly challenging the rights of His Highness the Amir, insulting the position of the Amir, offending Gulf rulers and inciting sectarian discord through expressions of sympathy and support for what was described in the case as Iranian aggression against Kuwait.

According to State Security investigations, authorities had monitored posts on the accused’s Instagram account containing photographs of Iranian attacks, including the targeting of an oil facility in Kuwait, which were considered capable of spreading fear among the public.

The posts also allegedly included an image containing serious insults directed at the Amir, the symbol of the State, Gulf rulers and leaders of other Arab countries. The accused was also alleged to have expressed thanks and support for attacks on US military bases in Kuwait and other Gulf countries.

In a separate case, the court overturned a three-year prison sentence previously imposed on a citizen convicted of insulting the Amir. It ordered his referral to the psychiatric department for treatment after medical assessment established that he was not responsible for his actions due to mental illness.

In another decision, the court ordered the referral of an accused person to psychiatric specialists to assess his mental capacity.