KUWAIT: MP Abdullah Al-Turaiji yesterday sent a series of questions to Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Khaled Al-Sabah about the arrest and release of an Iranian suspect after intervention from influential people. Turaiji asked the minister if Iranian national Abdulredha Haider Dahkan was arrested by security authorities over suspected intelligence activities and released later after the intervention of a former security official who is a member of the ruling family, and a former lawmaker.

The lawmaker said if the answer is positive, he demanded to know the reasons for his release and the names of people who mediated for his release. Dahkan is the only Iranian in the 26-member 'Abdaly' cell on trial for allegedly plotting attacks against Kuwait in collaboration with Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. He is one of three suspects being tried in absentia.

Turaiji also asked the minister if authorities have a security report indicating that Dahkan was involved in intelligence activities in Kuwait, recruited men and financed their trip to Lebanon to receive military training on the use of weapons. He demanded a copy of the security report. The lawmaker also asked the minister if Dahkan recruited three groups and sent them to Lebanon in 2014 and 2015 to receive training at Hezbollah camps in southern Lebanon and if they received training to use the same weapons seized in Abdullah Al-Mubarak in August.

He inquired if authorities have a security report stating that the aim of training some citizens under the supervision of Dahkan was to make them wait for orders from Iran and Hezbollah. Turaiji demanded the name of the Kuwaiti sponsor of Dahkan and asked if he has family relations to a former MP. The lawmaker asked if authorities issued an order to arrest Dahkan after he left Kuwait for Qatar on Aug 11 this year.

He asked the minister if Dahkan's brother Habeeb was also arrested and a firearm and maps of marine sites were found with him, and that a former security official and a former MP intervened to secure his release. Finally, Turaiji asked about the nationality of the wife of Dahkan and if she was still living in Kuwait.

Meanwhile, MP Faisal Al-Kandari criticized the government yesterday for not implementing laws that were passed by the National Assembly in the past two years. He claimed that the government has not issued the bylaws of 17 legislations, thus delaying enforcing and implementing such important laws. The Assembly had already asked its office to discuss this issue with the government.

In the meantime, MP Abdullah Al-Tameemi proposed an amendment to the election law in which the government is required to add to register as eligible voters all Kuwaitis who turn 21. Under the current system, people who reach the voting age must register themselves with the interior minister to be able to exercise their election rights.

By B Izzak