Arab Journalists Union against jailing Kuwaiti daily editor in chief

The Arab Journalists Union has called for suspending the sentence handed down by the Kuwaiti authorities to jail chief editor of the Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas, Muhammad Jasem al-Saqer, and his colleague Ibrahim Marzouk and to resume immediate publication of the Kuwaiti dailies al-Seyassah and al-Qabas.

In a statement released in Cairo, the Union's general secretariat stated that the imprisonment penalty is categorically in contradiction with the democratic growth Kuwait is witnessing and defending at the present time. It also bans one of human rights' basic principles the right to self-expression.

The statement called upon Kuwaiti sides concerned to take legal measures to maintain press freedoms and ensure the proper atmosphere enabling the press to serve the causes of Kuwait and of the Arab states alike. The statement called upon press and vocational organizations to support the Kuwaiti journalists.