KUWAIT: The interior ministry announced the arrest of the 14th fugitive convict of the so-called "Abdaly cell" on Saturday evening. In a press statement, the ministry identified the convict as Abdulmohsen Jamal Hussein Al-Shatti, a Kuwaiti, who was sentenced for 10 years in jail. Shatti was caught as a result of the ministry's relentless efforts to enforce the final verdict against him by the court of cassation's case no. 55 of 2015. Last week, the ministry captured 13 other convicts of the same cell.
Kuwait had charged 25 citizens and an Iranian member of the cell after the discovery of guns and explosives in a raid in 2015, which escalated sectarian tensions. Prosecutors said that the men intended to carry out "hostile acts" against Kuwait. One person was sentenced to death, the rest to prison terms. In June, Kuwait's highest court overturned the death sentence and reduced some of the prison terms while increasing others. At least 14 were sentenced in absentia.
Kuwait also protested to Lebanon over the alleged training of the Abdaly cell by Hezbollah, which has ministers in the Beirut government. Last month, Kuwait expelled 15 Iranian diplomats and shut down the military, cultural and trade missions of the Iranian embassy over Tehran's backing of the "terrorist cell". Iran said the allegation is baseless. - Agencies