29/04/2026
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29/04/2026
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KUWAIT CITY, Apr 29: The State Security and Terrorism Crimes Division of the Court of Appeal has issued rulings in several cases related to membership in terrorist organizations and acts damaging to national interests, while adjourning one case to a later date.
In the first case, the appellate division modified the Criminal Court’s earlier verdict against a Kuwaiti citizen accused of joining the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group. The court reduced his sentence from 15 years in prison to seven years after reviewing charges that included receiving training in manufacturing explosives, promoting extremist ideology through social media, communicating with ISIS leaders via the Telegram messaging app, insulting the Emirate, and harming the country’s national interests.
In a second case, the division overturned the acquittal of another Kuwaiti citizen and sentenced him to four years in prison with hard labor after convicting him of joining ISIS and planning a terrorist operation. The court found him guilty on some charges—such as receiving explosives training, possessing a firearm, and harming national interests—while acquitting him on others, following the Public Prosecution’s appeal. According to the case file, the accused had planned a sabotage operation in the Sabah Al‑Salem suburb but was arrested at Kuwait International Airport while attempting to travel abroad. He reportedly admitted to embracing extremist ideology since 2020.
The court also decided to adjourn the hearing in the case of a fugitive Twitter user currently outside Kuwait, rescheduling it for May 13 to allow for his appearance. The individual had previously been sentenced by the Criminal Court to two years in prison in absentia for allegedly insulting the rights of His Highness the Emir, but the appeal bench ruled that the original verdict was null and void because he failed to attend the appeal hearing.
