Australian in prison for insulting Kuwait's ruler

An Australian woman detained in Kuwait has been convicted of insulting the ruler and sentenced to two years in prison, according to the woman’s lawyer on Tuesday.

Attorney Falah Al Hajraf would not comment on Monday's ruling but said he was appealing the verdict immediately, a report of the case said in UAE daily Gulf News.

Nasra Al Shamery was arrested in December with her two sons after arriving at Kuwait International Airport with her family on vacation.

A misunderstanding between family members and an airport official turned into a melee during which the woman was accused of screaming obscenities and insulting the ruler , the lawyer said.

The 43-year-old Australian, of Arab origin, denied the charges and her lawyer claims testimony given by witnessses was contradictory.

Charges gainst her two sons, who ar ein thier early 20's have not been made

The Al Shamery family obtained Australian citizenship a few years ago.

Previously they lived in Kuwait among the some 100,000 bidoons, or stateless Arabs.

Bidoons have no right to work, obtain a birth certificate for their babies or even get their marriage certificate attested.

According to the Government, bidoons in Kuwait number 70,000, however human rights groups place the number at 120,000, accoridng to Austrlian website news.com.ae.

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