Kuwait sentences to death two alleged Iran, Hezbollah spies
Court gives death penalty to Iranian man convicted in absentia as well as another Kuwaiti.
By REUTERS, JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: JANUARY 12, 2016 10:56Kuwait City, Kuwait(photo credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/MOHAMMAD ALATAR)
A Kuwaiti court sentenced two men accused of spying for Iran and Hezbollah to death on Tuesday, a Reuters witness said.The case also included the possession of weapons. One of the men given the death penalty was an Iranian convicted in absentia, and the other was a Kuwaiti who was in court.The two, an Iranian citizen and a Kuwaiti citizen, are members of the Al-abdali cell which spied for Iran and Hezbollah in order to smuggle explosives and weapons to Kuwait that will serve for terror attacks against the state, according to the ruling.Other suspects were given sentences ranging from five to 25 years, and three were found innocent.The court's decision comes amid growing tension between Iran and the Saudi-aligned Gulf states as a result of Saudi Arabia's decision to sever its diplomatic relations with Iran following the popular outrage that arose in the Islamic Republic in light of Saudi Arabia's execution of the Shiite preacher, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.