A Kuwaiti appeals court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of a man convicted of spying for Iran as part of a cell which Kuwait said was trying to destabilise the Gulf Arab state on behalf of Tehran.
Kuwait and some other Gulf Arab countries, have long accused Tehran of seeking to weaken them by infiltrating local Shi’ite communities and stirring up local politics.
The so-called “Abdali cell” was uncovered when security forces raided a farmhouse in Abdali outside Kuwait City last year and found a vast cache of guns and explosives.
Kuwait charged 25 of its nationals – all of them Shi’ites – and an Iranian with spying for Iran and Lebanese group Hezbollah. Of those charged, 23 were found guilty of various crimes including intent to carry out “hostile acts” against Kuwait and possessing weapons.
Hassan Abdul Hadi Hajiya was sentenced to death in January along with the Iranian citizen charged in absentia.
Citing his “fugitive” status, the court gave no ruling on the Iranian defendant on Thursday.
The court also ruled as “not guilty” ten defendants who had originally received 15-year prison terms and reduced the sentences of nine others or lessened them to fines.
Source: Reuters, 21 July 2016
