Human rights defenders in Kuwait are subjected to harassment, travel restrictions, detention without charge and imprisonment. The problem of digital security hampers their work as the Internet is monitored and websites have been blocked. Although Kuwait's constitution contains explicit guarantees for the right to free speech and of association the authorities have worked to curtail and suppress the efforts of human rights defenders.

In April 2008, the Ministry of Interior approved a law which restricts the right to peaceful protests and public meetings. Kuwaiti journalists must practice self-censorship as even minor criticisms are sufficient to warrant arrest. In August 2007, the editor of the daily al-Jarida newspaper, Basher al-Sayegh was arrested after he criticized the Emir on a website which he hosted.

Organized advocacy by human rights defenders is not encouraged, and organizations must be granted official recognition from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in order to operate legally. This can take many years. In 2005, the country’s only officially recognised human rights NGO was granted a license, ten years after it was originally formed. Legal restrictions and red tape impinge upon the work of human rights defenders.