ANHRI denounces the decree of the criminal Kuwaiti court of shutting down Scope satellite channel and fining the former parliamentary “Mohamed El-Jowaihal” 10 thousands Kuwaiti Dinars due to accusations of insulting a catergory of the Kuwaiti society.

The criminal court of Kuwait had issued a decree on Wednesday January 2, of fining the former parliamentary “Mohamed El-Jowaihal” and Scope satellite channel by 10 thousands Kuwaiti Dinars for each one of them and shutting down the channel for two months due to accusations of insulting a specific category of the society, “El-Matran tribe”, on the back ground of the seminar organized by “El-Jowaihal” and the channel broad casted it excursively. The channel had repealed the judgment.

In a related context the criminal court, on January 2, released three activists on a personal bond (by their residency): “Khaled El-Fadalh”, “Rashed Fadalh” and “Abdullah Al-Rasam” in addition to the continuation of arresting “Fahd El-Qbendi” for not representing before the court due to being in the hospital, as he is suspected to have a stroke and adjourns the case to January 6, 2012. The four activists are accused of participating in the march of homeland dignity due to allegations of participating in unauthorized and resisting the security men.

The four activists refused to pay the financial bail of 1000 Kuwaiti Dinars set by the prosecution to be released.

ANHRI “the decree of the criminal court by shutting down Scope satellite channel in addition fining to it due to broadcasting a seminar organized by the former parliamentary “Mohamed El-Jowaihal” is a serious set back to the freedom of expression, the freedom of media and freedom of the press in Kuwait. These judgments were added to the chain of former judgments and decisions such shutting down “El-Youm Channel” and harassing the media-professionals due to their opinions. This judgment comes in the series of harassing the freedoms which make the human rights file in Kuwait getting worse, day after day”.

ANHRI called on Kuwait to review its situation from the freedom of expression, stop harassing the media-freedoms and revoke such unjust judgment if it desires in improving its freedoms and human rights files.

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