US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT3311

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KU 
SUBJECT: TRIALS POSTPONED; FAILAKA SUSPECTS RELEASED ON BAIL 
 
REF: KUWAIT 4496 (2002) AND PREVIOUS 
 
1. On July 19, Kuwait's Criminal Court announced the 
postponement to September 6 of the trial of twelve Kuwaiti 
students charged with involvement in the October, 2002 
shooting incident which led to the death of U.S. Marine LCPL 
Antonio Sledd, on Failaka Island.  The Court released two of 
the suspects, Sulaiman Jamal and Mohammed Assad, on KD 5,000 
bail (approximately USD $ 15,000) each, on the grounds that 
neither had any prior criminal record.  Both are banned from 
traveling outside the State of Kuwait. 
 
2. All of the suspects, who were filmed confessing to their 
involvement in the incident during interrogations by Kuwaiti 
Security Services (KSS), now claim these confessions were 
made under duress. 
 
3. In another adjournment the same day, the Court announced 
that the trial of Hakem al-Mutairi, who had been charged with 
slander against KSS, would be postponed until October 27. 
Mutairi is Secretary General of the Salifist Movement, 
otherwise known as the Scientific Salafis. 
 
4. Comment:  Post ascribes the delays solely to the summer 
holidays, during which many Kuwaitis are outside the country, 
rather than any change in GOK policy.  We will continue to 
monitor developments in these cases. 
JONES