Kuwaiti opposition leader: Protests will continue until new government is elected

Prominent Kuwaiti opposition leader and former Minister of Parliament Musallam Al-Barrak promised that marches organised by his supporters will continue to sweep the streets of Kuwait until they attain “an elected government”, Assabeel news agency reported.

“We will remain in the squares and marches until all of Kuwait goes out, and we will not return before we overthrow those who are corrupt and try them,” Al-Barrak told a gathering of his supporters today in Al-Farwaniya governorate, south-west of Kuwait.

A Kuwaiti court yesterday ruled to release Al-Barrak on bail of 5,000 Kuwaiti dinars ($18,000). Al-Barrak was arrested on Wednesday last week on charges of insulting the judiciary, Kuwaiti judicial sources reported.

Thousands of his supporters have been demonstrating since his arrest, demanding his release.

Al-Barrak said: “We will not abandon the detainees and after their release we will call for a wide demonstration and will not return until our demands to achieve an elected government are met.”

After the gathering ended yesterday, Al-Barrak’s supporters marched towards the central prison firing fireworks towards the security forces who responded with stun grenades and smoke canisters in an attempt to disperse them.

On Sunday, the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said in a statement that “it will respond firmly to those who conduct illegal and uncivilised acts in order to preserve the security of the homeland and its citizens” adding that it “will apply the law equally to everyone”.

The public prosecutor imprisoned Al-Barrak for 10 days to interrogate him over charges of accusing judges of bribery. He was formally charged with “defamation against the Head of the Supreme Judicial Council Faisal Al-Murshid and insulting the judiciary.”