Salman Al-Khalidi is a Kuwaiti blogger who has been targeted by Kuwaiti authorities due to his peaceful human rights activities, including his posts on X in defence of human rights and his work as a founding member of the Kuwaiti Refugee Association. After receiving his first five-year prison sentence in absentia, he was forced to flee to the United Kingdom, arriving on 21 May 2022. He applied for political asylum, which was granted to him on 29 December 2023.

In retaliation for these activities, he was sentenced in absentia to 21 years in prison, and on 07 April 2024, had his citizenship arbitrarily revoked. After his citizenship was revoked, he told GCHR that “Becoming stateless due to an arbitrary, unjust decision is a blatant violation of my right to obtain the citizenship of my country, and it will not change the truth at all. I will remain affiliated with Kuwait, its land and its people, for the rest of my life.”

On 01 January 2025, Iraqi authorities handed over Al-Khalidi to Kuwaiti authorities at the Al-Abdali border crossing. He was subsequently detained.

On 11 January 2026, the Kuwaiti Criminal Court sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour, followed by deportation. The sentence was handed down after Al-Khalidi was convicted on charges including using his X-rated account to deliberately challenge the authority of the Emir, insulting the head of the state, and committing a hostile act against the sister nation of Saudi Arabia.