21 February 2017
Prison assault on Musallam Al-Barrak

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

KUWAIT CITY: MP Khalid Al-Shatti has presented a bill allowing non-Muslims to obtain Kuwaiti citizenship by repealing Clause Five under Article Four of Amiri Decree No. 15/1985 which stipulates granting citizenship only to Muslims.

He explained this condition contravenes the legal concept of citizenship as the relationship between man and God has nothing to do with nationality, citing the famous saying – “Religion belongs to God and the nation belongs to all.” He then stressed the need to remove suspicion of discrimination in the Kuwaiti nation due to the stipulation on granting citizenship only to Muslims.

In another development, Human Rights Committee Rapporteur MP Abdulkarim Al-Kandari said former MP Musallam Al-Barrak was assaulted in prison on Sunday. He added that the committee discussed in its meeting last week the issue of “mixing” in prison, particularly the lack of clear criteria for separation of inmates.

He affirmed the committee agreed on the need to investigate irregularities observed in prison, including the assault on Al-Barrak, in order to determine causes of abuse and provide protection for inmates. Commenting on the incident, MP Marzouq Al-Khalifa confirmed the “suspicious” attack on Al- Barrak will not go unnoticed.

He unveiled his plan to present a proposal in the parliamentary session slated for March 7, 2017 to form a commission of inquiry to investigate the attack on Al-Barrak as he considers it an assault on the dignity of all Kuwaitis considering the latter earned people’s respect, love and appreciation for his shining national history and stances.

He also underscored the importance of looking into all dimensions and details of the assault, especially since it is clear that the prison administration failed to ensure the safety of prisoners. He finds it appalling that criminals and drug addicts are staying in cells allocated for State security inmates. He added all those behind the anomalies in prison must be held accountable regardless of their position or status.

© Arab Times 2017