Manama: A Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for security personnel to be given adequate training in human rights issues to ensure better treatment of detainees.
The need for the training has intensified following the death of Mohammad Al Mutairi, a Kuwaiti national, under torture while he was in police custody, MP Maasouma Al Barrak has said.
His death and the ensuing cover up attempt sparked a heated debate in Kuwait, fuelled by the local media, about abuses by some elements of the police and prompted Shaikh Jaber Al Khalid Al Sabah, the interior minister, to hand in his resignation.
Maasouma told Kuwaiti Al Rai Television that the minister's resignation over the incident was "a brave act in assuming political responsibility."
The minister has, however, been told to continue his duties and follow up the investigation
In the interview, the lawmaker, known for her strong comments, condemned a court decision to commute a three-month jail sentence against to former MP Badi Al Dossari over his physical assault on senior Ministry of Interior (MoI) official Major General Kamal Al Awadhi into community service.
Al Awadhi resigned from in protest, and Maasouma said that the interior ministry had lost "one of its most able figures."
Her statement was supported by fellow MP Saifi Al Saifi who heaped praise on Al Awadhi for his "honourable behavior and decision to step down following the court's announcement."
According to Al Saifi, there are huge flaws in the running of the MoI that have been exposed by Al Mutairi's case and called for holding Shaikh Jaber "fully accountable if he is found to be involved in the case."
