Lawyer says beaten by police
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 13: Attorney Faisal Al-Otaibi filed a complaint at the Public Prosecution, accusing securitymen and officers in the Public Security Department Farwaniya Section at the Ministry of Interior of beating him and his client due to a traffic violation.
The complaint was registered under number 3465/2019. Al-Otaibi pointed out that on the day of the incident on July 21, 2019, his client called him telling him that a patrol stopped him while he was driving his car. The securitymen asked for his driving license. The securityman went to the car beside his client and ordered him to drive towards the Public Security Department in Farwaniya. The vehicle has been impounded since then.
Al-Otaibi added that when he went to the Public Security Department along with the brother of his client, the securitymen talked to him in an inappropriate way. He added that he will submit a complaint to Ministry of Interior Undersecretary Lieutenant Essam Al-Naham.
“While leaving the place, I was surprised when an officer hit me, my client and his brother. Then, a number of securitymen and officers attacked and hit the three of us,” AlOtaibi narrated.
He pointed out that he obtained medical reports which described the injuries they suffered.
Al-Otaibii said that to his astonishment, he was summoned to be investigated about the incident. He pointed out that according to the law, a lawyer should not be investigated about an incident related to his job but according to a warrant issued by the Public Prosecution. He added that the head of Kuwait Lawyers Society should be informed in order to take the necessary procedures and the date of investigation. He affirmed the head of the society has the right to attend the investigation and obtain a copy of the investigation without paying fees.
Symposium held:
The Freedoms Committee at Kuwait Lawyers Society organized a symposium recently, during which a number of prominent personalities delivered speeches.
MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei said some Kuwaiti officials are afraid of tweets due to the possibility of exposing them. He revealed he is a columnist, blogger and a member of the society; adding that he considers the present Parliament the worst of all.
He also criticized the Audio Visual Law as it stipulates tough penalties which contravene the right to freedom. He pointed out that when a television channel offended Kuwait, the Kuwaiti youths did not dare to defend their country for fear of penalties stated in the Cyber Crimes Law. He asserted Kuwait grants freedom of speech to its citizens, more than any of the neighboring countries.
On the other hand, former MP Hassan Jawhar said the laws on freedom were created for political reasons. He disclosed some of these laws were ratified by the 2013 Parliament with the aim of regulating cyber activities. He added he was one of those who forwarded draft laws on organizing cyber activities, but he did not expect that an individual would be sent to jail due to his opinion or political views. He claimed some officials are leaking information to bloggers to reveal such secrets.
Constitutional Law Professor at Kuwait University Hasham Saleh wondered if one blogger can sever ties between two countries. He said the Constitutional Court stated that a tweet is not considered part of encroachment acts. He supports the cancellation of the Cyber Crimes Law, not just amending it.
Freedoms Committee member Hassan Dashti argued that offending His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and State figures happens every day through the so called e-flies working from abroad but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has yet to take action.