Travel ban, decision to pull passport cancelled

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KUWAIT CITY, Aug 24: The Administrative Court canceled the decision issued by the undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior to impose a travel ban on a citizen and withdraw his passport after he was accused of possession of narcotics. Representing the citizen was Lawyer Abdul Mohsen Al- Qattan, who argued that his client was shocked by the ministry’s decision to impose a travel ban on him and confiscate his passport, which prompted him to inquire about the basis of such decisions, but he never received answers from the relevant authority.

Attorney Al-Qattan said, “Since this measure violates the constitutionally guaranteed right of movement, and since it is not permissible to deprive a citizen of this right, this measure has caused damages that require compensation”. In its ruling, the court explained that the plaintiff is of Kuwaiti nationality and the administration’s decision to prevent him from traveling and confiscate his passport is due to the fact that he was previously accused of possessing narcotics. However, this accusation does not in itself carry the meaning of insulting the country or harming the country’s reputation. Accusing or convicting a person of a criminal offense does not in itself lead to harming the country’s interest or harming its reputation abroad, unless the nature of the crime leads to that. By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah, Arab Times Staff