Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah expressed - today, Thursday - his country's rejection of the statement of the European Department for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, which is related to the implementation of the death sentence against 7 convicts in Kuwait.
"I categorically reject any interference in our internal affairs, just as I reject any interference in our judicial system, and we are proud of our democracy," Minister Al-Sabah said in a press conference, wishing European countries not to politicize the issue of exempting Kuwait from the Schengen visa.
Yesterday, the Kuwaiti authorities announced the execution of death sentences against 7 people convicted of premeditated murder, in addition to various other crimes, and they are 4 Kuwaitis: (3 men and a woman), a Syrian, a Pakistani and an Ethiopian.
Kuwaiti judiciary
The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister added that the provisions of his country's judicial system are "fair and transparent, and there is no one more keen on human life than Kuwait and its leadership," noting that "the timing of the execution was a coincidence - unintentional - with the presence of the European guest," referring to a member of Parliament German visit to Kuwait.
The minister said that his country believes that many of the cases raised in the courts of other countries are "arbitrary and unfair," but the Kuwaiti authorities do not comment on these cases.
The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister's statements come in the wake of a statement made - yesterday, Wednesday - by the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaret Schinas, in which he dealt with the issue of carrying out death sentences in Kuwait, and the European official said that the implementation of these sentences "will have repercussions on the discussions related to the proposal to put Kuwait on the list of countries." Exempt from Schengen visa.
European rejection
Schinas added that the European Union "strongly opposes the death penalty in all circumstances," noting that the European Department for Foreign Affairs summoned Kuwait's ambassador to the European Union in Brussels.
It is regrettable that despite raising this yesterday and having received assurances to the contrary, Kuwait went ahead with 7 executions today.
We will draw the consequences of this will have on discussions on the proposal to put Kuwait on the visa-free list.
Full statement 👇 pic.twitter.com/eyx4Y1d4Yd
- Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) November 16, 2022
Regarding the European Union linking the issue of exemption from Schengen with the implementation of death sentences, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister said that "the Union has agreements for exemption from the Schengen visa with 36 countries in the world, 24 of which carry out death sentences, and the largest ally of the European Union in which death sentences are executed," in a statement. reference to the United States.