Kuwaiti lawyers keen to represent Egyptian victims

Manama: Kuwaiti lawyers have volunteered to defend the alleged victims of the Hosni Mubarak regime, the head of the Kuwaiti Lawyers Union has said.

"We have received requests from a large number of Kuwaiti lawyers to help the families of the Egyptian revolution victims," Nasser Al Hayfi said.

"The lawyers said that their move was prompted by their belief that the victims' rights should be preserved," he said, quoted by Al Rai daily. The union is working with Egyptian lawyers representing the victims, Al Hayfi said.

Special permits

"We will be going to Cairo soon after special permits to attend the trial of the former president were issued," he said.

"We are keen on defending the sons and daughters of the Egyptian revolution and on expressing our gratitude to the people of Egypt for supporting Kuwaitis in times of need," he said.

The move to defend the victims came days after 10 Kuwaiti lawyers ten Kuwaiti lawyers made the trip to Egypt to defend Hosni Mubarak, sparking a deep controversy both in Kuwait and Egypt. Several Egyptian journalists claimed the Kuwaiti lawyers' defence of the deposed president was politically motivated and not related to legal rights.