Kuwait court frees Opposition leader

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Kuwait court frees Opposition leader

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Kuwait on Thursday released on bail opposition leader Mussallam al-Barrak.

01 November,2012 08:20 pm

Following his detention, violent protests erupted in the country where dozens were hurt, his lawyer and an AFP photographer said.Opposition groups which held an emergency meeting in the wake of the night-long clashes strongly condemned the governments barbaric suppression of peaceful demonstrations, saying Kuwait was becoming a police state.A judge ordered the release of Barrak on bail of 10,000 dinars ($35,600) pending trial, lawyer Abdulrahman al-Barrak told AFP after the defence team submitted a petition against the 10-day detention.Around 200 supporters greeted Barrak when he stepped out of the central jail, 25 km (16 miles) southwest of Kuwait City.Barrak was arrested on Monday and charged with undermining the status of Kuwaits emir at a public rally on October 15 for which he could face a jail sentence of up to five years, his lawyer said.The opposition insisted it will continue holding peaceful protests and called on the government to halt its unprecedented oppressive and police practices.The opposition statement was signed by 11 political and youth groups.It called on the government to release all detainees and to scrap the disputed amendment of the electoral law which triggered the current standoff that has turned violent at times.The disturbances in the OPEC member saw the Kuwait Stock Exchange index dive about 2.0 percent to 5,645.31 points on Thursday.The interior ministry, meanwhile, reiterated that it will not allow any new unauthorised demonstrations including the procession planned by the opposition on Sunday.The ministry also denied reports that foreign troops took part in the confrontation against protesters on Wednesday, and vowed it will take legal action against those who spread such baseless rumours.Thousands of protesters on Wednesday marched on the central jail to demand freedom for Barrak, a former lawmaker, before police confronted them with tear gas and stun grenades.