Kuwait court scraps opposition politician's 5-year jail term
Reuters News  5/27/2013 5:31:19 AM - Reuters News  KUWAIT
(Reuters) - A Kuwaiti appeals court on Monday overturned a five-
year jail sentence given to an opposition politician convicted
of insulting the ruling emir in a speech, a defense lawyer said.
A former member of parliament, Barrak has been out on bail since
he was sentenced in April.  He was found guilty by a court of
insulting Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah at a rally in October
in which he urged the emir to avoid "autocratic rule".  Unrest
flared in Kuwait, a U.S. ally and oil producer, last year after
the emir changed the electoral law before a parliamentary
election in December. Barrak and other opposition said the move
was meant to deny them a majority and they boycotted the poll.
The emir said he made the changes to ensure Kuwait's security
and stability. The government said the voting rules helped bring
the electoral system in line with those used in other countries.
Barrak, who dr