Kuwait Criminal Court
Kuwait's first-instance criminal court; its State Security Circuit tries state-security and terrorism cases.
On 26 October 2026 the State Security Circuit of Kuwait's Criminal Court sentenced three men to death over an alleged plot against Interior Minister Fahad Al-Yousef, and gave eight others five years each. The sentences can be appealed.
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Kuwait Criminal Court
Sentenced three men to death and eight to five years
Iran Conflict 2026: Kuwait court sentences three to deathBackground
Kuwait's Criminal Court hears criminal cases at first instance. Its State Security Circuit tries state-security and terrorism cases. Under Decree-Law No. 51 of 2026, appeals from that circuit go to the State Security and Terrorism Crimes Circuit of the Court of Appeal, set up on 2 April 2026, whose rulings are final.
Counselor Nasser Al-Badr presided over the October 2026 case. Of the three men sentenced to death, one is an Iranian national. the Court's ruling records the verdict at first instance; it remains open to appeal.
The verdict put Kuwait's courts at the centre of its dispute with Tehran. When Iran's embassy disputed the case, saying the Iranian defendant had not lived in Kuwait for a decade, the foreign ministry summoned Tehran's envoy.
Which Kuwaiti court sentenced three men to death over the plot against the interior minister?
Can the Kuwait state security death sentences be appealed?
How does Kuwait try state security cases?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 29 October 2026. Editorial standards.