Kuwait: Death Sentences , Prison Terms in Case Linked to Iran , Hezbollah
- 2026-10-27
- 12:32:28
A Kuwaiti court sentenced three defendants to death in a case involving espionage for Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, and plotting to assassinate officials, including the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef.
On Monday, the State Security and Terrorism Court sentenced eight other defendants to five years in prison.
What Happened?
According to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, the charges brought by the Public Prosecution against the defendants included espionage, attempting to commit hostile acts against Kuwait, joining a banned group, and harming the country's national interests.
The case, according to the newspaper, involved planning to target state figures and leaders, as well as attempting to use explosives to carry out the plot and spread panic.
The prosecution also charged the eleventh defendant with attempting to acquire explosives to enable the other defendants to carry out the operation, according to the newspaper's report on the investigations.
Al-Qabas newspaper reported that the court ruled the defendants had attempted to undermine Kuwait's security, incite unrest, and erode confidence in the authorities' ability to protect lives and property.
The case involved charges of affiliation with foreign entities and planning acts of violence within the country, charges addressed by the court in its verdict against the eleven defendants.
The identity of one of the convicted was revealed.
AFP, citing two judicial sources, reported that Hussein Abdullah Al-Matouq, Secretary-General of the National Islamic Alliance, was among those sentenced to death.
The sources added that another of the convicted men had previously been convicted in a 2016 terrorism case, then granted a royal pardon, before being re-arrested last April.
These sentences remain subject to appeal, distinguishing them from final, enforceable judgments.