Kuwaiti Opposition Politician Given Jail Sentence for Insulting the Emir

Defense may file an appeal

KUWAIT: A prominent Kuwaiti opposition politician was sentenced to five years in jail on Monday for insulting the ruling emir, his lawyer said, in a ruling expected to stoke political tension in the Gulf Arab state.

Kuwait, an OPEC member and U.S. ally across the Gulf from Washington's main regional adversary Iran, has avoided the sort of mass pro-democracy unrest seen in other Arab states. But tensions have risen between former members of parliament and the government, long dominated by the Al-Sabah family.