Kuwait authorities sentence 67 people to prison

Association

The Kuwaiti authorities have cracked down on freedom of association and assembly in recent weeks, with the sentencing of 67 people to prison for allegedly storming parliament in 2011. The arrested include opposition leader Mussalam Al-Barrak, current and former members of parliament and human rights defender Sulaiman Bin Jassim, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. The sentences imposed on the 67 range from one to seven years in prison. The court decided to suspend the sentences of seven of the accused who have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to two years.

The 2011 incident occurred on 16th November, when following street demonstrations protesting the former Prime Minister, 70 people entered the National Assembly. Two of them were acquitted and one died, leaving 67 on trial. The public prosecutor's office filed charges over the alleged use of force and violence against public servants, namely the National Guard, in order to break into the building, as well as charges of "unauthorised assembly" and "destruction of state property".