US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4999

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004999 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/P (GSULLIVAN), NEA/PPD 
(CWHITTLESEY), LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KISL, SCUL, KIRF, KPAO, KU 
SUBJECT: AL-WATAN NEWSPAPER SLAMMED FOR PUBLISHING LIBELOUS 
EDITORIAL ABOUT LIBERAL PROFESSOR 
 
REF:  KUWAIT 1306 and 1192 
 
1.  The Kuwait Criminal Court issued December 3 a verdict 
sentencing Islamist Kuwaiti writer Ahmad Al-Kose and Editor- 
in-Chief of the Arabic Daily "Al-Watan," Shaykh Khalifa Ali 
Al-Khalifa Al-Sabah, to suspended two-month jail terms and 
fined each 50 KD ($170) for publishing a libelous article 
against liberal political science professor and columnist 
Dr. Ahmad Al-Baghdadi. The court also suspended the issuance 
of Al-Watan for one week and ordered the confiscation of the 
issue containing the offensive article.  Al-Watan objected 
to the ruling and two more courts must uphold the decision 
in order for it to be imposed. 
 
2.  Al-Baghdadi filed the case against the Al-Watan 
columnist who published, with the approval of the Editor-in- 
Chief, a June 5 article entitled, "Why Do Al-Baghdadi and 
the Liberals Hate the Holy Quran?"  Al-Baghdadi claimed the 
article, written after Al-Baghdadi criticized the Education 
Ministry for cutting music classes from public school 
curricula in favor of Quranic education, accused him of 
hating the Holy Quran, Islam, and the Prophet Mohammed 
(reftels).  Al-Baghdadi argued that Al-Kose's accusation 
that he preferred the words of Satan to the words of the 
Lord was an encroachment on his dignity and reputation. 
 
3.  The Kuwait Journalists Association issued a statement 
expressing regret for the preliminary judicial verdict, 
saying it strongly objected to the jail sentence for an 
opinion-based case.  "While the Association respects the 
Kuwaiti judiciary, it underscores its firm and principled 
position upholding freedom of opinion and expression," the 
statement read.  The Association also called for such 
disputes to be addressed through public debate and not in 
the courts. 
 
4.  This verdict comes in the midst of GOK and National 
Assembly consideration of a new Press and Publications Law. 
 
 
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LEBARON