KUWAIT CITY, Oct 8: The Criminal Court sentenced a Kuwaiti citizen to five years ' imprisonment with hard labor and immediate enforcement after convicting him of joining and financing the banned group “Hizb ut-Tahrir”, in addition to insulting Jordan and Egypt on social media. During the session, the court heard arguments from both the prosecution and the defense. Investigations confirmed that the defendant had published posts and videos on his social media accounts promoting the extremist ideology of the group and supporting its activities financially.

The content also included offensive remarks against the leaders and people of the two countries. This verdict follows a similar ruling against the defendant’s brother, who was also convicted of joining and funding the same group both inside and outside Kuwait. In its reasoning, the court stated that the defendant’s actions posed a threat to both internal and external state security and fall under the scope of State Security Law No. 31/1970.

Also, the Criminal Court has acquitted an individual of charges related to the misuse of a smartphone, following a defense presented by Lawyer Tahani Al-Nafis. In a separate case, the court issued a ruling to refrain from punishing an individual charged with possession of psychoactive substances. The court ordered the confiscation of the seized items and required the defendant to submit a written pledge, post a KD 500 guarantee, and maintain good conduct for two years.

In another case, after Lawyer Tahani Al-Nafis presented her defense, the Court of Cassation’s Misdemeanor Appeals Division accepted the appeal procedurally and overturned the lower court’s ruling. The court suspended the prison sentence issued against her client in a theft case, without requiring bail. Meanwhile, the Commercial Section in the Court of First Instance instructed a property owner to KD35,000 to a citizen, in addition to seven percent interest per annum from the due date until full payment, as he failed to fulfill his obligation to hand over the property sold to the citizen in 2012. Attorney Nasser Al-Farhoud filed the case on behalf of the citizen who paid for the property through check that the defendant received. However, he refused to hand over the property and violated the terms of the contract, prompting the citizen to take legal action to demand for the amount of the check, plus interest and expenses.

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