Expression
On 29th September 2023, the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) reported that blogger Salman Al-Khalidi had been sentenced in absentia to another three years in prison in connection with his peaceful activities in the field of human rights. He had previously been sentenced to five years in prison with hard labour in a separate case in May 2023, among other sentences.
The most recent court ruling convicted Al-Khalidi on the following alleged charges including: “intentionally broadcasting false and tendentious news and rumours abroad about the internal situation in the country using the Internet and through his personal account, insulting publicly and in a public place by saying and writing on the head of the state, and publishing anything that might prejudice the judiciary using his personal account.”
These allegations are related to his use of his account on X (formerly Twitter) to express his personal opinions on public issues of concern to citizens in Kuwait, and his defence of the civil and humanitarian rights of the Bedoon community, as well as of prisoners of conscience, in addition to his work as a founding member of the Kuwaiti Refugee Association. The headquarters of the Association, which was established in August 2022, are in the United Kingdom, where it holds activities.
On 3rd September 2023, Mohammed Al-Barghash, a human rights activist in Kuwait who peacefully and tirelessly defends the rights of the Bedoon community, was arrested by the State Security Apparatus. They were carrying out an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecution, and was detained pending investigation in the Central Prison. The four charges facing him reportedly relate to state security.
Mohammed Al-Barghash belongs to the Bedoon community in Kuwait. He founded the National Bloc of Kuwaiti Bedoons, which he also heads, and which has organised a number of events to shed light on the chronic problems that the Bedoon community suffers from and demand radical solutions to them. On 17th August 2023, Amnesty International highlighted the discrimination facing members of the Bedoon community in Kuwait. Its report specifically focussed on the Kuwaiti Government’s discrimination against stateless Bedoon children by failing to provide them with equal and free education.
On 10th August 2023, another Bedoon rights activist, Fadel Farhan Saket (Abu Turki), was summoned for investigation and arrested in retaliation for his peaceful online activism and defence of human rights. Abu Turki went to the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation building after he had received a summons from one of its departments, the Cyber Crime Combatting Department. He was arrested as soon as he entered the building and placed in the Central Prison after the Public Prosecution decided to detain him pending an investigation. Local reports confirmed that the arrest and detention of Abu Turki, who is a member of the Bedoon community in Kuwait, is related to his recent posts on his X (Twitter) account.
On 21st August 2023, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas published the text of a new draft law to regulate media in Kuwait, which was prepared by the Ministry of Information. The proposed bill has faced widespread opposition from civil society, including human rights activists, as well as a large number of parliamentarians, due to the restrictions it would place on freedom of expression.
The new draft law clearly contradicts Article 36 of the Kuwaiti Constitution, which states: “Freedom of opinion and scientific research is guaranteed, and every person has the right to express his opinion and publish it verbally, in writing, or otherwise.”
The draft law contains a prohibition on criticising the Emir of the country, the Crown Prince, and the Deputy Emir, and prevents the publication of their news or activities without prior Emiri approval. Also included in the section on prohibitions is the following: “insulting or disrespecting the country’s constitution” and “violating public morals.” These are vague phrases that the authorities may use against any peaceful demonstration calling for the rights of stateless Bedoon citizens, for example, or any activity aimed at drawing citizens’ attention to chronic problems, such as corruption in state institutions.