Amnesty Condemns Conviction of Kuwait Opposition Leader

Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned a Kuwaiti court ruling to uphold a two-year jail term against opposition leader and former parliamentarian Musallam al-Barrak for insulting the emir.

"Kuwait's authorities should ensure his conviction and sentence are quashed and that he is not returned to prison," said the London-based rights watchdog.

"If he is returned to prison as a result of this decision, Amnesty International would consider him a prisoner of conscience."

The 58-year-old Barrak is one of the most senior and popular opposition figures to be jailed in an unprecedented government crackdown on dissent. 

He was convicted by the appeals court in February of undermining the authority of Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah during a speech at a public rally in October 2012.

The latest verdict from the supreme court is final and cannot be challenged.

Amnesty urged Kuwait to bring its laws and practices on freedom of expression in line with its obligations under international laws.

It also called on the government of the oil-rich Gulf state to stop the persecution of 67 individuals who expressed solidarity with Barrak by publicly reciting parts of his speech.

Barrak was a lawmaker between 1996 and 2012.

Kuwaiti courts have sent dozens of opposition and online activists to jail on charges of insulting the ruler.