Kuwait Counterterrorism Law Expands Death Penalty — August 2026
Overview
- Period
- August 2026
- Sectors
- Financial ServicesGovernment & Public Sector
- Development
- Kuwait Enacts Counterterrorism Law Expanding Death Penalty Amid Regional Conflict
- Exposure Area
- Legal / Regulatory
- Impact
- High
- Date
- 15 March 2026
- Summary
- Kuwait issued Decree-Law No. 47/2026 (15 March 2026) and Decree-Law No. 51/2026 (30 March 2026), introducing sweeping counterterrorism measures amid the regional Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict, which Amnesty International reports had killed at least eight people in Kuwait by 30 July 2026. The new framework makes the death penalty mandatory for a broadly defined "terrorist act" -- including mere property damage -- permits restrictions on movement, association, and communications without a criminal conviction, and creates specialised courts with closed sessions and no right of appeal. Amnesty International's 27 August 2026 analysis calls for immediate amendment to bring the law into line with Kuwait's international human-rights obligations. KMI has not independently verified the decree-law texts against the official gazette; treat this entry as a lead for verification, not a legal determination.
- Source
- Amnesty International — retrieved 5 September 2026
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