Kuwait extends detention of leading opponent

Kuwait's public prosecutor on Wednesday extended the detention of prominent opposition leader and former MP Mussallam al-Barrak over remarks deemed critical of the emir, his lawyer said. "The attorney decided to detain Barrak for 10 days starting from Monday, the day he was arrested, pending further investigation," Mohammad Abdulqader al-Jassem told AFP. Barrak was interrogated for five hours on Tuesday on accusations that he undermined the status of the emir at a rally on October 15 when he warned against amending the disputed electoral law and also cautioned Kuwait was becoming autocratic. The decision comes hours after authorities summoned two opposition figures for questioning as the oil-rich Gulf state widened a crackdown on dissent. "I will go to the public prosecution (on Wednesday) for interrogation on the accusation of undermining the status of the emir in a televised interview in August," former Islamist MP Faisal al-Muslim said on Twitter. Muslim is the sixth former opposition MP to have been summoned for interrogation on accusations of making public remarks critical of Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Last week, the court released three former opposition lawmakers after five days in custody on similar accusations and freed a fourth former MP after a brief interrogation. Separately, the foreign ministry said late Tuesday it would take legal action against Jassem, who is also a prominent opposition writer, over an article deemed offensive to leaders in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In his blog on Tuesday, Jassem warned Saudi King Abdullah and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, that protests in Kuwait could quickly trigger similar events in their countries. He also criticised the two leaders' reported support and encouragement of the Kuwaiti crackdown. Jassem told AFP on Wednesday afternoon that the authorities have yet to notify him of any legal action. "I have not broken the law in my article and did not threaten anyone," he said. "I think the decision is politically motivated and deliberate because of my active participation in the opposition," said Jassem, accusing the government of launching a campaign against its opponents. Jassem was detained on three occasions in 2009, 2010 and 2011 for a total of more than four months for allegedly slandering the former prime minister and undermining the status of the emir through articles posted on his blog. The crisis flared after the government decided to amend the electoral law in what the opposition claims is a step aimed at electing a rubber stamp parliament. More than 100 protesters were hurt at a massive rally on October 21 organised by the opposition to demonstrate against the amendment. The opposition also plans a second protest on November 4. Meanwhile, candidates began registering on Wednesday for a snap election called for December 1, amid a boycott announced by a majority of political groups.