HRW Calls on Kuwait to Stop Revoking Citizenship of Political Opponents

Local Editor

International advocacy group, Human Rights Watch [HRW], called on Kuwait on Sunday to stop targeting opponents through revoking their citizenship and to reinstate withdrawn nationalities.

HRW called on Kuwaiti authorities to stop the practice against those exercising free speech and to ensure that people who lose their citizenship have the right to an independent review of the ruling.

"Kuwaiti authorities should immediately stop stripping nationals of their citizenship because they exercise free speech or other legitimate human rights," it said in a statement.

They should "reinstate the citizenship of people whose citizenship has been withdrawn on those grounds," it added.

HRW moreover said that at least three of the cases appeared to be politically motivated.

Kuwait was damaging its reputation with the practice, HRW further said.

The Kuwaiti Cabinet stripped citizenship from 33 people this year [2014], the rights group said, adding that Kuwait announced the latest batch of 18 people who were stripped of their nationality on Sep. 29.