At present, the penal code stipulates a jail term not exceeding five years for such offences but the lawmakers proposed the new penalty should be between five and 15 years in jail.
The proposal was submitted by MPs Nabeel Al- Fadl, Abdulhameed Dashti, Yacoub Al- Sane, Nawaf Al-Fuzai and Mohammad Al- Barrak. A number of former opposition MPs are facing trials for the same charges after making remarks at public rallies in October that were deemed highly offensive against the Amir.
They include opposition leader Musallam Al-Barrak, Faisal Al-Mislem, Falah Al-Sawwagh, Khaled Al- Tahous, Bader Al-Dahoum and Osama Al- Munawer, in addition to dozens of youth activists and tweeters.
The proposal needs the Assembly’s legal and legislative committee to approve it, then pass on to the Assembly to approve the amendment and send it to the government for endorsing it. Even if the new pro-government Assembly passes the amendment, it will not apply on crimes already committed.
