Two Kuwait royals held over critical tweets

Kuwait City: Kuwait has arrested two members of the Al Sabah ruling family for tweets deemed critical of the government and supportive of the opposition, a human rights group and a lawyer said on Friday.

Shaikh Abdullah Salem Al Sabah and Shaikh Nawaf Malek Al Sabah were arrested for expressing political views on Twitter, the independent Kuwait Human Rights News Centre said.

Shaikh Abdullah’s lawyer Al Humaidi Al Subaie said his client was arrested late on Wednesday and was expected to be questioned by the public prosecutor later on Friday.

The two young royals had posted tweets expressing their sympathies with the Kuwaiti opposition, which has been organising protests against an amendment to the electoral law seen as designed to produce a pro-government parliament in a snap December 1 general election.

More than 150 protesters and 24 security personnel have been injured at demonstrations since October 21 and the opposition plans another rally on Sunday.

Young royal Shaikh Mesha’al Al Malek Al Sabah was detained for a few days in July for expressing political views deemed offensive.