A Kuwaiti criminal court sentenced 18 men to three years jail on Sunday for involvement in fighting US-led forces in Iraq. A court official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said another four people were fined up to 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars. Only one of the defendants, Abdullah Matar al-Shimmri, was in custody, five were on bail and the remainder are at large. Journalists were barred from attending the closed court hearing and officials ordered defence lawyers not to comment on the case. Five defendants were accused of leaving Kuwait intending to fight foreign forces in Iraq. It was unclear if they actually reached Iraq or fought there. The rest were charged with training others - including teenagers - to use weapons, or receiving weapons training knowing it would serve "an illegitimate purpose." Others faced counts of possessing and trading in unlicensed weapons.