Human rights in Kuwait

Human rights in Kuwait are a topic of significant concern. Most notably, Kuwait's handling of the stateless Bedoon crisis has come under substantial criticism from international human rights groups and the United Nations.[1][2][3] Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region.[2][3] Kuwait also faces significant criticism for the human rights violations against foreign nationals, Kuwaiti Women, and LGBT people.

LGBT Rights

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LGBT people living in Kuwait face discriminatory laws and public attitudes. The penal code contains some general provisions against debauchery and immorality that can be used to punish LGBT people.

  • Article 193 of the Penal Code punishes "consensual intercourse between men of full age (from the age of 21)" with a term of imprisonment of up to seven years.[4]
  • Article 198 prohibits public immorality. In 2008, the law was expanded to also outlaw "imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex" with fines and or imprisonment.[5]

Foreign nationals infected with AIDS/HIV are deported.[6]

References

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  1. "Human Rights Council, Forty-sixth session, 22 February–19 March 2021, Agenda item 3, Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development. Written statement* submitted by International Council. Supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights, a nongovernmental organization in special consultative status. The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31". United Nations. 17 February 2021. p. 2. Archived from the original on 5 April 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Kuwait Bedoon - Special Rapporteurs, United Nations, Requesting Investigation of Kuwait's Treatment of the Bedoon". Un Special Procedures Request. January 2019.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Kuwait's humanitarian disaster Inter-generational erasure, ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Bedoon". OHCHR. 2019.
  4. "STATE-SPONSORED HOMOPHOBIA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  5. "Cross-dressers' heads shaved in Kuwait". Gulf News. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
  6. "Kuwait deports 13,000 foreigners in just nine months". internationalinvestment.net. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2020-11-14.