Security guards allowed only the 40-member defense team, a number of former opposition MPs and a few activists into the small courtroom on the fourth floor of the Palace of Justice in Kuwait City.
Upset over being prevented from attending the hearing, the young activists began chanting slogans in support of Barrak who faces jail terms for up to five years if convicted.
“Jail us in place of Mussallam Al-Barrak” chanted the activists whose loud slogans were being clearly heard in the courtroom by the presiding judge. They also chanted: “Mussallm: You are the conscience of the whole nation” and “All of us are your children”.
Police did not interfere and allowed the activists to do whatever they wanted. The activists carried Barrak when he came out of the court and even chanted louder slogans.
They went down the stairs shouting and expressing support for Barrak. At the internal gate of the Palace of Justice, Barrak delivered a speech to around 200 people, declaring that the “protests will continue” stressing that “your jails, batons and teargas bombs will not stop us”.
“This is a war against corruption and corrupt people because they are trying to steal the future of our children and the future of Kuwait… We will not accept this,” Barrak said. “We are not against the regime but against corruption,” said Barrak.
He said that the defense team requested a one-month period to prepare for the final defense arguments but the court gave them only two weeks until February 11.
Barrak later spoke to reporters just outside the Palace of Justice, insisting that it’s “time that the people managed its own affairs through an elected government”.
The former opposition lawmaker is on trial because of remarks he made at a public rally on October 15 and deemed highly offensive against HH the Amir.
The criminal court is scheduled to issue its verdict on two former MPs, Falah Al- Sawwagh and Khaled Al-Tahous, and member of scrapped assembly Bader Al- Dahoum on February 5 over similar charges.
The court had already sentenced two opposition tweeters for two years imprisonment each for writing tweets found by the court to be insulting to HH the Amir.
Several other tweeters and opposition activists are facing similar charges or for taking part in “illegal” demonstrations.
Meanwhile, two former opposition MPs Salem Al-Namlan and Mubarak Al-Waalan are due to appear before the public prosecutor tomorrow on accusations of taking part in unlicensed demonstrations.
In the meantime, MP Nabeel Al-Fadhl described the protest outside the courtroom as an attempt to “terrorize” the court and termed the action as barbaric.
