Kuwait's extremist lawmaker proposes jail terms for Hezbollah backers

A member of Kuwaiti parliament has proposed legislation calling for supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement to be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail.

According to Press TV, the draft legislation, submitted to parliament by lawmaker Waleed al-Tabtabai, well-known for his extremist views, stipulates a jail term of between 10 and 20 years for members of Hezbollah and anyone who shows any form of loyalty to the resistance movement.

It also proposes jail terms of up to five years for anyone displaying any symbol associated with the Lebanese resistance group.

The lawmaker also proposed that Hezbollah be classified a "terrorist organization."

The developments come after the Supreme Court in Kuwait last month convicted 21 Shia Muslims of forming a "terrorist cell" with ties to Hezbollah and plotting attacks in the Persian Gulf state.

Around a third of Kuwait's native population of 1.35 million are Shia Muslims.

In March, Kuwait revoked the residency visas of more than 60 Lebanese individuals over their alleged links with Hezbollah.

The move came after the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), under the influence of the Saudi regime, branded Hezbollah a “terrorist” organization on March 2. Arab League foreign ministers, except those of Iraq and Lebanon, later followed suit.

ME