Geneva – The Geneva Council for Rights and Liberties expresses its deep concern over the accelerating pace of citizenship revocations in Kuwait, linked to fears of violating the law as a means of suppressing any form of peaceful opposition in the country, marginalizing political opponents, or ethnic minorities, thereby violating the right to freedom of expression and political participation.
The Geneva Council is closely monitoring the announcement made in Kuwait on November 7, regarding the decision by the “High Committee for Citizenship Affairs,” a government body, to revoke the Kuwaiti citizenship of 930 individuals, with the matter set to be presented to the Cabinet for approval. This step followed the committee’s earlier decision on October 31, to revoke the citizenship of 489 individuals, and an even earlier decision on September 20 to revoke the citizenship of 112 people.
As of the end of September, unofficial statistics estimated that over 2,000 individuals had their citizenship revoked, with some still awaiting the issuance of a decree to finalize the revocation, citing non-compliance with legal conditions, including failure to meet the requirements for naturalization.
The Geneva Council underscores that the right to nationality or citizenship is universally recognized as a fundamental aspect of an individual’s identity and legal status, deeply embedded in international law and human rights principles. Denial or revocation of this right renders individuals stateless, resulting in a life of uncertainty, exclusion, vulnerability, and deprivation of dignity, equality, and human rights.
The Geneva Council highlights the alarming pattern in which the Kuwaiti authorities are revoking and canceling citizenship in a process that, while presented as administrative, is seen as a potential political tool for suppression, which contradicts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, particularly regarding the right to nationality and condemnation of arbitrary deprivation of it.
Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to a nationality,” and “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of their nationality nor denied the right to change their nationality.” Despite these strong protections, the actions of the Kuwaiti government present a significant challenge to these international standards, raising serious concerns about human rights, the effects of which resonate beyond its borders.
While the Geneva Council calls for comprehensive investigations into the cases of nationality revocation in Kuwait and advocates for the full legal right to appeal for those affected, it urges the Kuwaiti authorities to adhere to international standards and uphold the right to nationality, respecting human rights and fostering social stability and protection of social cohesion.
Additionally, the Geneva Council calls on the Kuwaiti authorities to reevaluate their citizenship policies, prevent arbitrary revocation, reinstate citizenship to those who have been unjustly deprived, and ensure that all individuals within its borders can live with dignity and security, including the right to freedom of expression and political participation. The targeted individuals are often critics of the current government or involved in opposition movements.
