KUWAIT CITY, July 17: The Second Circuit of the Court of Appeals, headed by Judge Nasr Salem Al-Haid with Judges Saud Al- Sanea and Tariq Metwally as members, upheld the acquittal of three Tunisians of belonging to the terrorist organization ISIS on Wednesday.

The Public Prosecution had earlier charged the three Tunisians with joining ISIS, pledging allegiance to the leaders of the organization, and planning to bomb Shiite mosques and Husainiyats in Kuwait and kill the worshippers therein. Case files indicate that the accused were trained in making firecrackers before being arrested by the State Security officers at the Ministry of Interior. The Criminal Court acquitted the defendants, based on the prevailing legal and jurisprudential principle that punishment is not imposed for the stage of contemplating and reflecting on a crime.

This is because as long as the intention remains within the mind and has not been revealed to the outside world, it poses no harm or danger. It stated that the investigations and documents were devoid of any evidence that would prove the defendants’ participation in the organization, and that despite their knowledge of the purpose for which this organization works, that is not sufficient to establish the crime of joining a banned organization, which is the subject of the accusation. It pointed out that this crime does not occur simply by the defendants meeting and repeating the pledge of allegiance to the leaders of the organization in their homes.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff and Agencies