KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1: The Criminal Court fined a citizen, identified only as “A. M.”, KD 10,000 for insulting a segment of society. The Public Prosecution charged the defendant with insulting a segment of Kuwaiti society through a video clip that went viral on social media. The defendant denied the charges. Also, the Criminal Court imposed a fine of KD 50,000 on Dr. Abdul Mutalib Behbehani for inciting sectarian strife through posts he uploaded on his X account that contained statements the court deemed likely to undermine national unity and harm the social fabric. The Misdemeanor Court of Cassation overturned the verdict issued by the Misdemeanor Court of Appeal, which sentenced two brothers to two years in prison with hard labor on charges of alcohol trafficking. The ruling was deemed invalid because the Court of Appeal adjudicated the case directly without referring it back to the Court of First Instance, violating the principle of two-stage litigation. The Misdemeanor Court initially ruled that it lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the misdemeanor of alcohol trafficking and referred the case to the Criminal Court, considering it a case of recidivism. However, the Court of Appeal ruled that it had jurisdiction and proceeded to hear the case, ultimately issuing the prison sentence.
By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
