Kuwait Human Rights

Human Rights Concerns

The human rights situation in Kuwait is unsettled, with significant improvement in some areas and less improvement in others. Arrests on the grounds of national security, particularly of those suspected of encouraging Kuwaitis to go to Iraq to fight against the US, and arrests in violation of freedom of expression continue.

Restored diplomatic relations with Iraq have led to the resolution of many POW issues from the 1991 Gulf War. The Kuwait Human Rights Society was licensed in August 2004, after 10 years of operating without formal government approval. Women were granted the right to vote in May 2005, but violence against women in society continues. Foreign workers remain vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, particularly female domestic workers, who have virtually no protection at all. Many Kuwaitis remain classified as “bidoon”, that is, without citizenship.

Four Kuwaitis are detained without charge by the US at Guantanamo Bay. Executions continue to take place (9 in 2004).

Demand Justice for Kuwaiti Nationals Illegally Detained at Guantanamo
Of the four Kuwaitis incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for more than 7 years, two remain there. One, Khaled Al Mutairi, was returned to Kuwait on October 8, 2009, more than 2 months after a judge ruled there was no basis for his detention. A second, Fouad Al Rabiah, was returned to Kuwait in December 2009. The other two Kuwaitis remain in Guantanamo. » More actions

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