14 Kuwaiti Shia Escape to Iran After Conviction in Court

A Kuwaiti newspaper reported on Monday, July 17, that 14 Kuwaiti Shia citizens, who were convicted of forming a group linked to Tehran, fled their country by sea to Iran. The Kuwaiti newspaper 'Al-Siyasa' quoted senior security officials in Kuwait stating that these individuals managed to escape 'hours' after the Kuwaiti Supreme Court sentenced them to long-term imprisonment for 'planning an attack' against the Sunni government of Kuwait. The French news agency also reported that it contacted the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior for more details but has not yet received a response. Iranian officials have not yet reacted to the report from Al-Siyasa. The 14 Kuwaiti citizens who fled to Iran have been identified by officials in that country as members of a group referred to as the 'Abdali terrorist ring.' Members of this group were accused of importing, storing, and concealing explosives, weapons, and ammunition, as well as possessing illegal surveillance devices. Al-Siyasa described the escape of these individuals as the largest security breach and failure in the history of Kuwait. A total of 26 individuals from this ring faced the primary court, of which 5 were acquitted. Last month, the Kuwaiti Supreme Court rejected the defendants' request for acquittal and found the remaining 21 guilty of forming a spy ring in favor of Iran, having connections with Iranian security agencies and the Lebanese Hezbollah, and planning operations on Kuwaiti soil. The 14 individuals who reportedly fled to Iran by speedboats had been released from prison after appealing their sentences and were supposed to remain free until the Supreme Court's ruling was announced. Their sentences ranged from short to medium-term imprisonment of up to 10 years. Authorities became aware of their escape after visiting their residences. Except for the first defendant, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and is now a fugitive, the rest of the group is currently in prison. The Kuwaiti Supreme Court deemed the investigations by the country's military intelligence and security agencies regarding this ring to be justified and credible, establishing the connection of the first ring member, 'Hassan Hajieh,' with 'Abdolreza Dehghan,' an employee of the Iranian embassy in Kuwait. Hassan Abdulhadi, one of the group members sentenced to life imprisonment, was also found guilty of membership in Hezbollah since 1996 and smuggling large quantities of weapons and explosives from Iran to Kuwait. The French news agency previously reported that all defendants denied the charges against them, claiming they confessed under torture. Iran has denied any connection with this group. One-third of Kuwait's 4 million population is Shia.