Kuwait City (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Kuwait's public prosecution on Sunday ordered the detention of four activists for 10 days for allegedly insulting Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Three other Twitter users, including a woman, who were arrested with them, were freed on bail of US$ 3,550.
This has created an atmosphere worthy of a "police state," said Hamad al-Matar, a former member of parliament.
Even members of the ruling family have not been spared. Last week, the emirate's secret service police detained for two days two members of the ruling family on accusations of agreeing with opposition tweeters.
Ruled by al-Sabah family since the second half of the 18th century, Kuwait is the oldest constitutional monarchy in the Gulf.
By tradition, the heir to the throne is the prime minister, but under the country's parliamentary system, he can be removed by parliament.
The current crisis began in March after Islamists won the elections, marking a major changing in the traditional pro-Western nation.
Fearing extremism, the emir decreed that the existing electoral law was unconstitutional and so annulled the vote, setting 1 December as the new date for elections.
The heavy atmosphere that has prevailed ever since has been made worse by the arrest of three opposition members of parliament on charges of undermining public security.
Fear of an Arab spring-like popular uprising has also pushed the outgoing pro-monarchy parliament and the government to change the current electoral law, to guarantee democratic reforms for the opposition, but so far it has failed to deliver.
Against this background, a strong anti-ruling family current has developed, spanning the political spectrum from the Muslim Brotherhood and nationalists to pro-democracy reformers.
All of these groups have called on Kuwaitis to boycott the December election, and announced more protests.