US holds Kuwaitis for laptop content

This news has been read 6331 times!

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 3: Over the past few months the US authorities have reportedly arrested a significant number of Kuwaitis, most of whom are believed to be students and young tourists, reports Al-Rai daily quoting knowledgeable sources.

According to the same sources, they have been detained for committing minor violations some of those arrested are even unaware that such offences can land them in jail or are punishable in the United States.

However, each State in America differs because each State has its own laws and what is punishable in one State may not be in another. In some cases, some people are even barred from entering the US for similar reasons.

The sources said 24 young Kuwaitis are still detained in the US because their laptops contained material which could pose threat to America’s national security, as has been described by the customs officers.

The sources added, among those arrested is a 19-year-old student who is in the custody of the New York police for more than a month because the authorities found on his cell phone obscene pictures. He is considered a minor and not eligible for such porno material.

The sources said the punishment in the US is extreme and cited the example of the student because one of the States considered pornography as obscene material while other States are lenient. Most of the time, the sources said the future of young people depends on the temperament of the US customs officials.

The source explained a large number of Kuwaitis travelled to Europe this year compared to the US and this has been justifi ed by the strict US procedures, which are akin to racism in the name of security, at a time when there have been no problems in dealing with the Kuwaitis at European airports, despite stiff security measures being applied there.

The US Embassy in Kuwait refused to comment on specifi c cases, saying the number of Kuwaiti travelers to the United States have reached record figures which exceeding 75,000 since the beginning of this year.

In the meantime, the embassy pointed out it is aware of news reports about the Kuwaitis who have been barred from entering the United States this year, noting that “the US authorities are making all efforts to avoid such cases.”

The embassy pointed out a very small number of travelers may have been barred from entering the United States for various reasons, and at least one person out of every thousand is prevented from entering the United States this year, and despite this small number, each case is considered separately and seriously.

The embassy stressed visitors to the United States — whether coming from Kuwait or any other country – are responsible for what they carry and should ensure that they comply with US laws. The embassy added, out that all travelers coming to the United States are subject to inspection by the customs authorities and border protection staff, and that the inspection may include electronic devices such as computers, disks, tapes, mobile phones and other communication devices, cameras, music devices and any other electronic or digital devices.

This news has been read 6331 times!

Related Articles

Back to top button

Advt Blocker Detected

Kindly disable the Ad blocker

Verified by MonsterInsights