Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT2607
2005-06-12 13:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

COURT UPHOLDS EXTREMIST HAMAD AL-ALI'S SENTENCE;

Tags:  PTER KISL PGOV KJUS KU ISLAMISTS 
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UNCLAS KUWAIT 002607 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/CT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER KISL PGOV KJUS KU ISLAMISTS
SUBJECT: COURT UPHOLDS EXTREMIST HAMAD AL-ALI'S SENTENCE;
ATTORNEY ASKS FOR HIS RELEASE AND FOR MOI TO PAY HIM $17,000

REF: A. KUWAIT 2258

B. KUWAIT 2174

C. KUWAIT 1308

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002607

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/CT

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER KISL PGOV KJUS KU ISLAMISTS
SUBJECT: COURT UPHOLDS EXTREMIST HAMAD AL-ALI'S SENTENCE;
ATTORNEY ASKS FOR HIS RELEASE AND FOR MOI TO PAY HIM $17,000

REF: A. KUWAIT 2258

B. KUWAIT 2174

C. KUWAIT 1308


1. (U) Kuwait's Supreme Court of Appeals (Mahkamah Al-Tameez)
upheld on June 7 a two-year suspended sentence of Islamic
extremist cleric Shaykh Hamad Abdullah Al-Ali (ref C). The
court said that Al-Ali had violated the constitution by
defaming Kuwaiti Amir Shaykh Jabir Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah during
his sermons at a local mosque. Although Al-Ali's sentence
was suspended when he paid a KD 1,000 (approx. USD 3,400)
fine, the court reminded him that he faced a two-year jail
sentence if he were found guilty of violating Kuwaiti laws
within the next three years.


2. (U) Al-Ali was convicted on June 19, 2004 and sentenced to
two years in jail for a variety of offenses: criticizing the
Kuwaiti Amir's decision to allow foreign military forces to
use Kuwaiti territory to launch a war on Iraq, describing
Arab leaders as traitors and failures, calling for an
unauthorized demonstration in support of Kuwaiti citizens
detained in Guantanamo, and hosting a jihadist website that
included links to bomb-making instructions.


3. (U) In a more recent and unrelated case, Al-Ali was
detained and arrested in March by Kuwait State Security for
allegedly collaborating with suspects involved in two January
shoot-outs with security forces. He is currently detained
and on trial for his involvement with the Peninsula Lions
terror cell. Mubarak Al-Mutawa, one of Al-Ali's attorneys,
said Al-Ali was innocent and requested on June 11 that his
client be released and compensated with KD 5001 (approx. USD
17,000) by the Interior Ministry for being improperly
detained and arrested (ref A).

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LEBARON