A prominent defender of the rights of the Bedoon community, Mohammed Al-Barghash, has been put on trial again in Kuwait, over his peaceful human rights activities.
On 17 January 2024, the Court of Appeal held its hearing to consider the case against him, and after hearing the arguments, it decided to adjourn the session to 31 January 2024, in order to issue the verdict. The charges against him include spreading fake news, harming the state’s reputation, and misusing a telephone device.
Al-Barghash, a human rights activist in Kuwait who peacefully and tirelessly defends the rights of the Bedoon community, was arrested by the State Security Apparatus for investigation regarding his peaceful human rights activities.
The Court of First Instance had decided, in its hearing held on 27 October 2023, to acquit him of all the alleged charges brought against him. He was released subsequently after 55 days of detention in the Central Prison, during which he suffered various human rights violations. At the forefront of these violations was his interrogation after he was taken blindfolded and handcuffed to the State Security Apparatus, where he was interrogated by six officers who put psychological pressure on him and threatened him with torture, which led to the deterioration of his health and his transfer to the hospital.
The Public Prosecution filed its appeal against the initial ruling, in addition to issuing a one-year suspended prison sentence against him in another case, due to his peaceful human rights work and his continued demands for the rights of Bedoon citizens in Kuwait.
On the evening of 03 September 2023, a number of members of the Kuwaiti State Security Apparatus traveling in seven cars arrested Al-Bargash in an inhumane manner from his workplace in the Jahra Governorate after closing the road leading to it, without giving him an opportunity to close his shop or lock his personal car. They were carrying an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecution, where he was detained pending investigation in the Central Prison.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) believes that the only reason for his arrest is his peaceful activities on social media, including using his Twitter account, which has a banner stating: “Our message must be clear, we will no longer accept being ignored.” He defends his civil and human rights as a Bedoon citizen and the rights of his fellow members of the Bedouin community in Kuwait, most importantly their legitimate right to obtain Kuwaiti citizenship.
Al-Barghash belongs to the Bedoon community in Kuwait. He founded the National Bloc of Kuwaiti Bedoons, which he also heads, and which has organised a number of events to shed light on the chronic problems that the Bedoon community suffers from and demand radical solutions to them.
GCHR previously documented his summoning for investigation by the State Security Apparatus on 26 July 2021 regarding his peaceful human rights activities, in addition to his arrest for a brief period of time on 07 February 2022.
GCHR declares its full solidarity with human rights activist Mohammed Al-Barghash, and calls on the competent authorities to drop all charges against him, and to stop targeting him in any way including through judicial harassment.
GCHR also calls on the government of Kuwait to work hard to grant the Bedoon community their basic human rights, in addition to ensuring respect for the civil and human rights of citizens, especially freedom of expression.
