The State Security Court of Appeals upheld three-year jail terms in sedition and Hezbollah-related cases on June 25, 2026. The court confirmed the prison sentence for an expatriate convicted of inciting sedition and expressing sympathy online who had a prior state security conviction. It also upheld the three-year term for a Kuwaiti citizen accused of promoting Hezbollah-linked ideas and inciting sedition.
The rulings released by the State Security Court of Appeals included overturned prison sentences for two Kuwaiti citizens in comparable cases. The court replaced the three-year terms with requirements for financial guarantees of KD3,000 and KD1,000 respectively to ensure good conduct for two years. This allowed the individuals to avoid imprisonment while remaining bound by the guarantees. The decisions were based on a review of the specific evidence and circumstances surrounding each case.
According to the court, an acquittal was overturned in the case of another social media user accused of insulting Egypt and Saudi Arabia as well as promoting Hezbollah-related ideas. The new ruling refrained from imposing punishment but mandated a KD3,000 financial guarantee for good behavior over two years. This outcome keeps the defendant under judicial supervision for the designated period. The case formed part of the larger group of appeals considered on the day.
The State Security Court of Appeals additionally cancelled some non-punishment and acquittal decisions for citizens charged with inciting sedition and expressing sympathy. It affirmed other rulings that enabled certain defendants to avoid punishment by posting financial guarantees for good conduct. These varied results demonstrate the range of options available under the law for such offenses. All the rulings were issued following thorough examination of the appeals.
The financial guarantees ordered in several of the cases serve as a mechanism to encourage lawful conduct without the need for incarceration. The amounts vary according to the court’s assessment of each defendant’s situation. Such guarantees are forfeited if the conditions are breached during the two-year period. This alternative to jail has been applied in a number of recent security-related verdicts by the appeals court.
Judicial records from the State Security Court of Appeals show the body was established to handle sensitive security matters including those involving potential threats to national unity. Similar cases in the past have resulted in prison terms or alternative sanctions depending on the degree of the violation. The GCC’s 2016 designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization has influenced the legal approach to related sympathy expressions across member states including Kuwait.
