Kuwait condemns attacks on Basra consulate, urges Iraqi action

BAGHDAD — Kuwait on Monday condemned what it described as continuing attacks on its consulate general in Basra and called on the Iraqi government to take immediate action against those responsible.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said the incidents violated the consulate’s inviolability and hindered Iraq’s obligations under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The statement followed a protest outside the consulate Sunday over the killing of Iraqi fisherman Najm Abdullah Khalid and the detention of other fishermen after an encounter with the Kuwaiti Coast Guard in Khor Abdullah.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the mission on Basra’s Shatt al-Arab Corniche, some demanding the expulsion of the Kuwaiti consul and action to protect Iraqi fishermen. Iraqi security forces cordoned off the consulate, closed nearby roads and deployed riot police.

The protest followed reports from Iraqi fishermen that a Kuwaiti patrol opened fire near Buoy No. 5, killing Khalid and wounding another fisherman, identified as Thaer, whom fishermen told 964media had suffered a gunshot wound to the head that left his legs paralyzed.

Fishermen in Basra governorate’s al-Faw district stopped going to sea for several days after the incident, and their association suspended approval of departure documents as a precaution. Protesters called on the government to provide greater protection in Iraq’s territorial waters.

The Kuwaiti ministry acknowledged Iraqi government efforts to counter attacks on the consulate but said Baghdad must hold all those involved accountable, prevent further incidents and protect Kuwait’s diplomatic missions and their staff. It cited Article 31 of the Vienna Convention, which requires host states to protect consular premises from intrusion or damage.