The Kuwaiti Appeals Court yesterday upheld the government’s decision to close Al-Watan newspaper, which is considered one of the most prominent newspapers in the country which has been known for its critical coverage of the government’s affairs.
Lawyer Rashid Al-Rdaan said: “The court rejected the appeal that we made against the decision of the ministries of trade and media to withdraw Al-Watan newspaper‘s licenses.”
The Ministry of Trade and Industry withdrew, in January, Al-Watan’s business licence as it does not hold the minimum amount of capital required by law.
The law provides for the withdrawal of the license of any institution in the event that it loses more than 75 per cent of its capital.
Al-Rdaan said that the judge did not accept the paper’s defence that the Ministry of Commerce is not authorised by law to cancel a shareholding company’s license.
The newspaper proprietor is Sheikh Ali Khalifa Al-Sabbah, a member of the ruling family and former minister of oil.
The newspaper had traditionally been pro-government, but it recently changed its editorial line and has become one of the most prominent critics of the executive authority over the past two years.