Criminal Court sentences four in Kuwaiti citizenship forgery case

In a landmark decision concerning the unlawful acquisition of Kuwaiti citizenship and the impersonation of Kuwaiti nationals for the purpose of obtaining associated privileges, the Criminal Court, presided over by Counselor Abdul Wahab Al-Muaili, has issued a comprehensive verdict.

The Court convicted the first defendant (a Kuwaiti citizen) and the second defendant (a Syrian national) and sentenced each to seven (7) years of imprisonment, after finding them guilty of conspiring to unlawfully register the second defendant’s son (third defendant) in the nationality file of the first defendant. The Court determined that this act constituted a deliberate falsification of official documents with intent to defraud the State, reports Al-Rai daily.

Furthermore, the Court imposed a ten (10) year custodial sentence upon the third defendant, who held prior positions within the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense while unlawfully claiming Kuwaiti citizenship. The Court also ordered him to reimburse the State the amount of KD 111,000 and imposed a financial penalty in the sum of KD 223,000.

With respect to the fourth defendant, an employee of Kuwait Municipality and the younger son of the second defendant, the Court refrained from imposing a custodial sentence. However, he was ordered to repay KD 38,000 to the State and fined an additional KD 77,000.

Additionally, the Court decreed the deportation of the second and third defendants (the Syrian father and the elder son) from the territory of the State of Kuwait following the completion of their respective sentences.

The proceedings were initiated upon receipt of intelligence relating to a forgery operation, whereby investigations revealed an agreement between the first and second defendants to fraudulently insert the third and fourth defendants—both Syrian nationals—into the citizenship records of the first defendant.

This act enabled them to illegally obtain the benefits and entitlements exclusive to Kuwaiti nationals.
Witness testimony, including that of a Syrian man identified as the biological brother of the third and fourth defendants, confirmed familial ties. He testified that he was aware from a young age that his brothers had been fraudulently declared Kuwaiti citizens. DNA evidence corroborated the kinship among the three.

It was established that in 2003, the first defendant submitted falsified birth certificates—purportedly issued by a Gulf state—pertaining to the third and fourth defendants, indicating years of birth as 1990 and 1992, respectively. These forged documents were used to facilitate their unlawful inclusion in the Kuwaiti nationality registry.

The investigation further revealed that the falsely naturalized individuals were employed in public sector institutions and unlawfully benefited from various state-sponsored privileges, including housing allowances, marriage grants, and employment loans.

This ruling underscores the gravity with which the judiciary regards crimes against the integrity of national identity and the State’s commitment to preserving the sanctity of citizenship.