KUWAIT CITY, Nov 22: The Public Prosecution requested the Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Tuesday to arrest 47 citizens on charges of storming the parliament last Wednesday. The list of arrests, however, does not include MPs who were with the citizens at the parliament, according to security sources.

MP Jamaan Al-Harbash called on the protesters to rally in front of the public prosecution in case arrests were made. Furthermore, MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei announced that a defense team has been formed for the arrested protestors as well as hot-lines set up for the participants of Black Wednesday.

The Legal and Legislative Committee announced on Tuesday it has approved the lifting of parliamentary immunity from MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Jamaan Al-Harbash, Faisal Al-Muslim and Mohammed Hayef. The Ministry of Communications had filed a lawsuit against the MPs charging them of defamatory remarks against His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah in a seminar on the Kingdom of Bahrain aired on Al-Mubasher TV Channel.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has given the National Assembly permission to re-open Abdullah Al-Salem Hall. The Office of Parliament said that renovations are taking place to allow the Nov 29 session, which is scheduled to discuss the prime minister’s grilling request on the multi-million dinar bribery case.

Rapporteur of the committee, MP Masouma Al-Mubarak, said the immunity withdrawal decision was made according to the Audio-Visual Law, in order for investigations by the prosecution to proceed. She added that the committee had invited the MPs to the meeting on Tuesday to relay their viewpoints, but they did not attend. The legal and legislative decision must also be approved by the assembly for it to pass.

Opposition MPs are currently facing criminal charges by the National Assembly for Black Wednesday’s parliament break-in. MPs Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Jamaan Al-Harbash, among others, have been identified by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) as the perpetrators. The prosecution has assigned the criminal investigations directorate to begin arresting those identified last Wednesday for questioning.

Furthermore, Emad Al-Seif, a lawyer representing Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, also announced that a number of lawsuits will be filed against opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak for defamatory remarks against the prime minister made at various seminars.

MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei waved-off the legal and legislative decision to lift his immunity calling the lawsuit a “trumped-up charge by the government” and urged the prosecution not to be part of the political game. Al-Tabtabaei questioned the prosecution’s hastiness in calling in the parliament break-in perpetrators and wondered why it has not questioned the MPs of the multi-million dinar bribery case.

The opposition MP said a meeting was held with MP Jamaan Al-Harbash and lawyers Mohammed Al-Dalal and Al-Humaidi Al-Subaiey to discuss forming a defense team for all involved in the parliament break-in. He said three hot-lines have been set up for protestors. Al-Tabtabei insisted that the citizens on Wednesday were invited by the MPs to enter the parliament to escape security forces. He further insisted that no damage has been done to Abdullah Al-Salem Hall.

Meanwhile, the Legal and Legislative Committee has approved raising the allowance of retirees to KD 200; increasing the allowance of children born to retired parents to between KD 25 to KD 100; and increasing general benefits of citizens to KD 200.