KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: Various courts on Monday dealt with several major cases related to publishing, domestic violence, insulting sisterly nations, urgent administrative cases, bribery and residency permits. The most notable rulings include the three-year prison sentence imposed on a citizen for insulting and defaming the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on TikTok, and the two-year sentence imposed on a mother for beating and verbally abusing her daughter.

The Criminal Court decided to release artist Elham Al-Fadala without personal guarantee, postponing her case until the next hearing on Dec 8. During the trial, Al-Fadala denied the charges filed against her, such as publishing false news on her digital platforms, while her defense team requested her release. Her defense team asserted that the case file lacked any evidence of a serious offense that could justify her continued detention.

The Court of Cassation dealt a significant blow to perpetrators of domestic violence, issuing a final ruling upholding the two-year prison sentence with hard labor imposed on a female Kuwaiti citizen -- suspended for three years upon payment of KD500 bail, after convicting her of repeatedly beating and verbally abusing her daughter and neglecting her health and living needs.

The Administrative Court scheduled a hearing for Dec 7 to consider an urgent lawsuit filed by Attorney Saud Al-Barghash to halt the decision of Kuwait Municipality to demolish several private residences in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, pending the issuance of a final ruling on the case. Residents of the affected homes filed complaints claiming that the demolition orders were issued without granting them sufficient notice or assessing their circumstances. The Municipality, however, maintains that there were serious building and usage violations, prompting the homeowners to resort to the Administrative Court.

The Court of Cassation upheld the acquittal in the case of a security official, former parliamentary secretaries and a doctor. The defendants were convicted of accepting bribes totaling KD2,000 in exchange for processing family visa applications and issuing residency permits. In its ruling, the court stated that there is insufficient evidence to link the defendants to the bribery allegation and that the investigation was inadequate to prove the charge against them.

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