Amnesty International has urged Kuwait to drop charges against Bidun activist Mohammad Al-Bargash, who is being prosecuted for speaking about the human rights of the country’s stateless Bidun population.
On September 3, 2023, the State Security Agency detained Al-Bargash at his workplace, an electronics shop in al-Sulaibiya, al-Jahra governorate, without an arrest warrant.
He is accused of spreading false news and rumors abroad, potentially undermining the country’s prestige, following an interview with Nabaa TV, a Saudi opposition channel from Lebanon.
He was imprisoned for over seven weeks before being acquitted on October 25, 2023. The prosecution appealed, and the appellate court is set to issue its verdict on Wednesday, January 31.
“For over three years, Mohammad al-Bargash has been one of the most vocal advocates calling for the Bidun’s human rights in Kuwait. It is shameful that Kuwaiti authorities are punishing Al-Bargash simply for seeking to prick the conscience of the Kuwaiti government and people, in order to secure their respect for the right of the Bidun to be treated as equals in their own country,” Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Aya Majzoub, said in a statement.
He added, “The prosecution of a Kuwaiti human rights activist for speaking about the Biduns’ situation is unjust and should be ended, highlighting the ongoing discrimination against the Bidun community.”
The Bidun, numbering around 100,000 individuals, constitute a stateless population in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti government is denying Bidun children access to free government schools and healthcare on equal terms with Kuwaiti nationals.
