KUWAIT: The court of cassation on Sunday issued final jail sentences against four former MPs and an election candidate for challenging the authority of HH the Amir on either social media or by issuing statements. The court, whose rulings are final and cannot be challenged, overturned lighter jail terms or softer convictions and raised the sentences on four convicts and upheld the sentence on the fifth.

It overturned a two-year jail term against former MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and increased it to four years in jail for interfering in the authorities and powers of HH the Amir. The court of appeals had cut the initial four-year term to two years. The court also reinstated a two-year jail term against former MP Hamad Al-Alyan issued by the criminal court and which was abolished by the court of appeals. He was convicted of writing tweets challenging the authority of HH the Amir.

It did the same to former MP Anwar Al-Fiker and sentenced him to three years in jail, the same term issued by the criminal court, which was abolished by the court of appeals. He was convicted of issuing statements challenging HH the Amir’s authority in appointing a prime minister. The court raised the sentence against former candidate in the 2024 Assembly elections, Musaed Al-Qraifa to four years from two passed by the appeals court for issuing statements deemed offensive to HH the Amir’s powers during the election campaign.

The court confirmed a two-year jail term against former MP Hussein Al-Qallaf, who was convicted of criticizing measures ordered by HH the Amir. In its rulings on Sunday, the court overturned the acquittal of former MP Saadoun Hammad but refrained from issuing any sentence against him on charges of buying votes during the 2024 elections. The court however upheld a ruling against former MP Abdullah Fahhad by the court of appeals which suspended his six-month jail term for three years. He was convicted of criticizing a judge.