Rights group calls for release of jailed Kuwaiti blogger

Human Rights Watch has called for the release of a Kuwaiti blogger sentenced to a six year prison term.

Saleh al-Saeed was convicted of "insulting" neigbouring Saudi Arabia and of "endangering bilateral relations.

He appealed against the sentence on 12 June, but the supreme court upheld the original ruling.

The blogger was arrested for sending out 16 tweets accusing Saudi Arabia of a landgrab of neutral territory.

A rare row had erupted between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which led to a halt in shared oil production from a neutral zone between the two countries.

He also criticised Riyadh's support for rebel forces in Syria's civil war on a pro-regime television channel.

"In the past, Kuwait stood out as a country that respected free speech, but the tide has turned," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director. "Kuwait now clearly would rather curry favour with its neighbours than uphold the rights of its own citizens."

A statement by the group called on the Emir of Kuwait, Sabah al-Sabah, to set aside the prison term imposed Saeed and order his release. 

The rights group also  called on Kuwait to revoke laws that obstruct free speech. On Tuesday, parliament passed new laws that bring tougher penalties for electronic crimes, supposedly to stop extremist groups from using a legal loophole in the country. 

Since December, Kuwait has charged at least five people, including one sitting and one former lawmaker, for insulting Saudi Arabia or its royal family.

It has also used laws to punish critics of the governments or Kuwait's royal family.