Kuwait detains ‘stateless’ rights demonstrators

Kuwait City: A Kuwaiti rights activist says authorities have detained 15 people in recent days during protests by so-called “stateless” residents claiming that the state denies them citizenship.

Activist Hadeel Buqrais said on Wednesday that the demonstrators were held on suspicion of participation in illegal protests and inciting riots during demonstrations in Taima, a suburb north-west of the capital, Kuwait City. She says nine remain in custody.

Officials could not be reached for comment on the arrests.

Groups of protesters, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, have been holding rallies in Taima since last week. The right to protest in Kuwait is only extended to citizens.

The stateless residents, known locally as ‘bidoun’, or without, are descendants of desert nomads who claim to have been in the area for generations and demand to be recognised as citizens. The government has promised to address the grievances over their stateless status.