Wednesday, Aug 23, 2017
Manama: Kuwait’s information ministry has referred several bloggers and social media users to the public prosecution for posting comments attacking Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and their national figures.
Saudi Arabia, the largest member of the six GCC countries, was the main focus of the online attacks reportedly related to the kingdom’s decision to sever its diplomatic and trade relations with fellow GCC member Qatar.
Two other GCC countries, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, also cut their relations with Qatar on June 5 for its support for extremists and terrorism.
The other members of the GCC, set up in 1981, are Kuwait and Oman.
“We do not accept the abuse of any brotherly country in the licensed Kuwaiti media or in the social networking sites,” Shaikh Mohammad Al Abdullah, the Kuwaiti acting minister of information, said. “All those who abused the symbols of the GCC states have been referred to the prosecution,” he said, quoted by Saudi daily Okaz.
The ministry will continue to monitor the licenced Kuwaiti print media and online accounts to ensure legal accountability against abuses, he added.
Kuwait has led massive mediation efforts to end the crisis, but no visible progress increment has so far been announced.
The Emir, Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad, had called on the country’s lawmakers to distance themselves from the discussions on Kuwait’s relations with the states in the region.
MPs in Kuwait called on the foreign minister to ensure the principle of reciprocity and to task the diplomatic missions to monitor abuses against Kuwait abroad and to take action against abusers.
by Habib Toumi Bureau Chief
Gulf News 2017. All rights reserved.
