Kuwait: Ill-treatment of prisoners and migrant workers under CAT scrutiny
During the 81st Session of the Committee Against Torture (CAT) on Tuesday, 29th of October, and Wednesday, 30th of October 2024, the CAT reviewed the 4th periodic report of Kuwait.
The country rapporteurs were Mr. Abderrazak Rouwane and Mr. Peter Vedel Kessing.
The country delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Naser A. Alhayen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Permanent Mission of the State of Kuwait to the United Nations Office in Geneva.
Main Issues Discussed:
The experts stressed the need for specific provisions criminalizing torture with adequate and proportionate penalties and expressed concerns over insufficient accountability and the lack of independent investigative bodies.
Concerns were raised regarding the 126% overcrowding rate in prisons and poor detention conditions, urging Kuwait to implement standards for humane treatment. The Committee condemned the use of shackling and food deprivation as disciplinary measures and called for legal safeguards for detainees, including access to counsel, medical care, communication with relatives, and independent complaint mechanisms.
The Committee also raised alarm over high death rates among migrant workers involved in hazardous work and called for stronger protection against ill-treatment, exploitation, and unsafe working conditions.
The committee criticized the lack of comprehensive laws to address domestic violence and harmful practices against women and children, including child corporal punishment, urging legislative reforms and protective measures.
Lastly, the Committee expressed alarm over the rising number of death sentences since 2022, including for crimes that do not meet the threshold of the “most serious crimes”, and the lack of fair trial guarantees in death penalty cases.
The CAT’s recommendations are available here.
Follow-up Recommendations
The CAT outlined specific recommendations for Kuwait, requesting the State party to provide information by 22 November 2025 on the implementation of recommendations regarding:
- A legislative ban of all disciplinary measures concerning restraints to movement and deprivation of food.
- The independence of the Human Rights Diwan and the effective monitoring of places of deprivation of liberty.
- The investigations into allegations of torture or ill-treatment.
Watch here (part one and part two) of the dialogue with the CAT.