KUWAIT CITY, Nov 24: Kuwait on Thursday remanded in custody 24 opposition activists pending further investigation on charges they stormed the parliament building last week, their lawyer said.
“After interrogation all night, the public prosecutor this morning remanded them in police custody until Thursday night when questioning will resume,” said Al-Humaidi Al-Subaie, coordinator of the opposition defence team.

Hundreds of opposition activists stormed the seaside assembly on Nov 16 after clashes with riot police that followed a large protest to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister and that Parliament be dissolved.

Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on Sunday called the incident a “black day” for the country which has been witnessing heightened tension between the ruling family led government and opposition MPs.

The activists have been questioned on charges of damaging public property, storming Parliament, illegal procession, assaulting police and others for which they “face a jail term of between six months and a life term,” Subaie told AFP.

Some of the activists were arrested on Wednesday while the rest handed themselves in while more plan to surrender Thursday, the lawyer said.

Subaie had said on Wednesday that the public prosecutor issued around 50 arrest warrants and more warrants were expected to be issued.

Riot police on Wednesday beat up with batons supporters and relatives of the activists who gathered outside a police headquarters east of the capital Kuwait City.

Dozens of supporters led by several opposition MPs spent the night outside the Palace of Justice in Kuwait City where questioning took place.

Opposition MP Mussallam Al-Barrak announced at the gathering that the opposition will hold an emergency meeting Thursday to decide its next course of action ahead of a planned anti-government rally on Monday.

The opposition launched the campaign aiming to change the Prime Minister and dissolve parliament following an alleged corruption scandal involving around 15 MPs.

Al-Barrak accused “bribed MPs” on Thursday of intending to save Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah by requesting a special session to lift the immunity of MPs who are accused of storming the parliament. In that way, he said, the MPs will be detained before voting in favor of no-confidence in His Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, after his grilling session.

MP Khaled Al-Tahous, meanwhile, stated on Twitter that an Al-Erada protests prior to the scheduled grilling the Prime Minister, will begin on Sunday. He said protesters will camp out at the square until the grilling session on Tuesday, Nov 29.

Following a meeting, the bloc warned of attempts to refer the grilling of the prime minister to the Legal and Legislative Committee or delay it by any other means. In light of what the opposition describes as “brutal attacks on citizens by security forces” the bloc stated that the prime minister as well as Minister of Interior, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, should resign.

“The bloc stresses that the prime minister cannot escape taking the podium in an open session on Nov 29. We warn of intentions by the prime minister to remove his grilling on the multi-million dinar deposits either by referring it to the legal committee or delay it using other procedures,” the statement said.
The opposition lawmakers also warned “cabinet MPs” of supporting government to lift parliamentary immunity from a number of opposition MPs on charges of storming the National Assembly in order to detain them before the no-confidence session against the prime minister and decrease the number of voters.

Al-Barrak further praised the arrested citizens who are “being charged of fabricated offenses by the corrupt National Assembly and government of Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah.” He condemned accusations against detained activist Bassem Al-Shatti that he was attempting to escape authorities when he was arrested at Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday.

“There is a strange charge within the lawsuit that pertains to the speaker’s gavel. The charge is directed at 27 individuals as theft of public funds. I ask Al-Khorafi: what about Sheikh Jaber stadium? What about the new Parliament offices that have not been completed yet? What about the oil contracts?” he lamented.

Al-Barrak stressed that the NA has not summoned the opposition MPs to discuss the Abdullah Al-Salem Hall break-in. “Al-Khorafi and the Parliament office have transformed into jail to serve Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah,” he said.

For his part, MP Falah Al-Sawwagh stressed that charges against MPs and activists have been fabricated by the government because it knows that around 25 MPs support no-confidence against the PM. MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri said has come to know that higher authorities are putting pressure on security officers to beat citizens.

Several members of the opposition gathered Thursday in front of the Justice Palace in protest against the arrest of those who stormed the Parliament building Wednesday last week.

Some lawmakers, activists and relatives of those who were arrested and subjected to interrogation stayed at the Justice Palace premises until dawn and a few left at around 8:00 am.

Among the lawmakers present at the gathering were Musallam Al-Barrak, Waleed Al-Tabtabaei, Khalid Al-Tahous, Al-Saifi Mubarak Al-Saifi, Mubarak Al-Waalan, Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Faisal Al-Muslim, Ali Al-Deqbasi and Mohammad Hayef.

Speaking to reporters, Al-Saadoun revealed the protesters decided to stay until late night to convey a strong message that they outrightly reject the unfair treatment of Kuwaiti youths, who merely exercised their freedom of expression.