Kuwait revokes citizenship of former MP Mohammad Al-Mahan and relatives

Kuwait has withdrawn the citizenship of former member of parliament Mohammed Hussein Al-Muhan and several of his relatives, according to an announcement published Sunday in Kuwait Al-Youm, the country's official gazette.

The decision affects seven people, including Al-Muhan's father and uncles, along with anyone who obtained citizenship through them.

Authorities cited Article 21 of the Kuwaiti nationality law, which allows revocation if citizenship was granted "on the basis of fraud, false statements, or incorrect documents".

The move follows local media reports last month that the Supreme Committee for Citizenship Verification had completed its investigation into alleged document forgery involving a former lawmaker whose family members were found to have dual nationality from another Gulf country- an offence under Kuwaiti law. The probe reportedly covered 169 related cases.

A separate decree published in the same issue of Kuwait Al-Youm revoked the citizenship of a woman under Article 11 of the law, bringing the total number of revoked nationalities to 32,573 since March 2024.

Al-Muhan served in the National Assembly during the 2022 and 2023 terms and was part of the opposition bloc. He placed strongly in the 2024 elections but lost his seat amid fierce competition.

The decision is part of a broader government campaign to "clean up" the nationality register, which has led to a wave of revocations since early 2024.

The campaign was among the triggers for Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's decision in May 2024 to dissolve parliament and suspend parts of the constitution for up to four years.

Earlier rounds of revocations targeted opposition figures, including exiled Ummah Party leader Hakem Al-Mutairi. In March and early April 2024, the government issued 13 decisions and three decrees stripping citizenship from 63 people, including 23 women.

Under Kuwait's nationality law, citizenship may be withdrawn in cases of fraud, serious criminal convictions, or if a citizen voluntarily acquires another nationality.

It can also be revoked for reasons linked to state security or promoting ideologies deemed harmful to Kuwait's political or social system.