Kuwait Court of Appeals Sentences Mazen al-Jarrah to 5 Years in Prison

A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
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Kuwait Court of Appeals Sentences Mazen al-Jarrah to 5 Years in Prison

A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)
A general view of the Kuwaiti Palace of Justice (File photo: Reuters)

The Kuwaiti Court of Appeal sentenced Major General Mazen al-Jarrah and Nawaf al-Shalahi to five years in prison and fined them KD1.360 million for money laundering and bribery in what was known as the case of the Bangladeshi MP.

It is the second part of the Bangladeshi MP, which dates back to June 2020 and involves security and political figures accused of human trafficking and money laundering.

The Appeal overturned the ruling of the Criminal Court, which released Jarrah last March without guarantee.

The Kuwaiti authorities arrested the Bangladeshi lawmaker on June 7, 2020, and he confessed to helping senior Kuwaiti officials and the interior ministry bring migrant workers on fake contracts in exchange for sums of money.

In 2020, the Bangladeshi MP, Mohammad Shahid, was convicted of human trafficking and sentenced to seven years in prison with hard labor and a fine of KD2.7 million.

The court ordered the defendant to be deported after serving his sentence.

The Bangladeshi MP spent many years working in Kuwait and later returned to his country and became a member of the parliament. He is known in Bangladesh as “Kazi Babol.”

The Criminal Investigation Department in Kuwait charged him with human trafficking, money laundering, and torturing employees of his company based on complaints from five Bangladeshi migrant workers.

The accused MP was arrested in his home in the Mishref area and was charged with receiving money from dozens of workers in return for bringing them in from Bangladesh to Kuwait through a company he managed with illegal assistance from Kuwaiti officials accused in the case.

He also paid bribes to influential people to obtain tenders and forced workers to pay annual royalties in exchange for work contracts.



Saudi Arabia Stresses its Ongoing Efforts to Tackle Situation in Gaza, Lebanon

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet session in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet session in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Stresses its Ongoing Efforts to Tackle Situation in Gaza, Lebanon

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet session in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet session in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government underscored on Tuesday the Kingdom’s ongoing political and humanitarian efforts to tackle the situation in Gaza and its surroundings, and in Lebanon.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet session that was held in Riyadh.

The cabinet also highlighted the air bridge the Kingdom has launched to provide humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people amid the Israeli assault on their country.

Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the ministers on the telephone call he received from French President Emmanuel Macron and the outcomes of the meeting he held with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Riyadh last week.

Crown Prince Mohammed’s talks with the officials focused on regional developments and efforts exerted towards them.

Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary said the cabinet reviewed the Kingdom's participation in bilateral and multilateral meetings, with the objective of boosting its relations with countries worldwide in various sectors, facilitating coordination to address issues and challenges of international significance, and achieving shared interests.

The cabinet renewed the Kingdom's emphasis, at the UN Conference on Victims of Terrorism, on the importance of international efforts to curb extremist ideologies and rhetoric, eradicate terrorism, provide support and care for all victims, and empower them through education and rehabilitation.

The minister said the cabinet reiterated the key points of the Kingdom's opening statement at the 89th session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which reaffirmed the commitment to women's rights, to lifting their status in society, and to continuing reforms that empower women and encourage their participation in development.

At the domestic level, Al-Dossary said the Cabinet praised the successful conclusion of the Global Logistics Forum held in Riyadh under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. It hoped that its outcomes will contribute to boosting cooperation, developing logistics services and supply chains, and supporting economic growth and sustainable development.

Moreover, the cabinet declared that King Salman bin Abdulaziz Royal Reserve making it on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Green List, alongside the Ibex Reserve, is consistent with the Kingdom's ongoing efforts in environment conservation. The move helps in realizing the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to declare 30% of terrestrial and marine regions protected areas by 2030.

The cabinet reviewed several reports on the performance of public agencies over the past period, their contributions to achieving the targets of the Saudi Vision 2030, and the significant progress seen in the indicators and initiatives of national strategies.