Kuwait emir 'pardons' 37 dissidents including royals and exiles

Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf has pardoned 37 dissidents in the country, in an apparent step toward political reconciliation with opponents.

Among those who will be pardoned are government employees, royals, and dissidents referred to as "shrouded in the clothes of exile" - meaning they live abroad.

Some media outlets have reported the names of those pardoned although there has been no official announcement of the individuals.

Kuwait's parliamentary speaker Ahmad Al-Sadoun and other MPs are among those who welcomed the emir's pardons, which followed a ministerial decree.

"The overwhelming joy expressed by the Kuwaiti people on all platforms after the issuance of the pardon… is a true reflection of the importance of the decision, which the citizens have waited for several years," MP Khaled Otaibi said, according to Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

Sheikh Nawaf came to the throne in 2020 following the passing of his half-brother Sheikh Sabah, who ruled the country from 2006 until his death.

The ruler appointed his half-brother Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as crown prince, who is said to have taken up many royal duties.

There have been attempts to patch up differences between the ruling establishment and the opposition, many of whom have been living abroad.

The pardons come after a political deadlock in Kuwait, a country which is widely perceived as having the most powerful elected assembly in the Gulf region.

In 2021, Sheikh Nawaf pardoned or gave reduced sentences to 35 dissidents, some of whom returned home after living abroad for years.

Among those currently living in exile is Kuwaiti MP Abd al-Hamid Dashti, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison after criticising Gulf states Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.