Kuwait’s Court of Cassation Hands Down Multiple Prison Sentences in Political Cases

Kuwait’s Court of Cassation has issued several prison sentences in political and social-media cases, including three-year terms for former MP Muhannad Al-Sayer and a social media user.

The court’s Criminal Division sentenced Al-Sayer to three years in prison with hard labor. Former MP Saleh Al-Mulla received two years with hard labor. The cases involved charges including challenging the powers of His Highness the Amir, broadcasting false news and misusing a telephone. Authorities linked the cases to statements and posts published on social media platforms.

In a separate ruling, former MP Bader Al-Dahoum was sentenced to one year in prison with hard labor for insulting judges of the Constitutional Court during an election-related event.

The court also overturned an earlier Court of Appeals decision that had refrained from sentencing a social media user accused of broadcasting false news and harming the country’s internal affairs. The user had faced trial over posts about Cabinet decisions, which authorities considered the dissemination of false news. The Court of Cassation instead imposed a three-year prison sentence with hard labor.

Some earlier rulings in the cases had included acquittals, suspended sentences and bail pending final judgments. The latest decisions by the Court of Cassation are final.