Kuwaiti Activist Salman Al-Khalidi Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Insulting Amir
Kuwaiti activist Salman Al-Khalidi has been sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison after the Court of Appeal upheld four separate rulings issued by the Criminal Court. Al-Khalidi was convicted of insulting the Amir, defaming the judiciary, and offending the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through statements and posts on social media.
The 20-year sentence is the result of four separate cases, with the Criminal Court sentencing Al-Khalidi to five years in prison in each case. Additionally, Al-Khalidi faces earlier sentences of 15 years and 10 years, bringing his cumulative legal exposure to several decades behind bars.
Al-Khalidi, a Kuwaiti blogger and political activist, has faced multiple prosecutions over the past few years related to his social media activity and political statements. Several cases were filed against him after authorities said he published posts on the platform X (formerly Twitter) that insulted the Amir, criticized state institutions, and included statements about Saudi Arabia.
Some of the rulings were issued in absentia after Al-Khalidi left Kuwait in late 2023. Kuwaiti authorities later announced that he had been detained at Baghdad International Airport and handed over to Kuwait, where he was taken into custody at the Al-Abdali border crossing.
Source: Times of Kuwait
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