CASPER
THE FRIENDLY GHOST
Kuwait has blocked a number of internet blogs and websites with links to "terror" cells and groups, a top official said in comments published on Friday.
"The ministry has blocked blogs ... used by some to communicate with terror cells and extremist groups," communications ministry undersecretary Abdulmohsen al-Mazeedi told Kuwait's An-Nahar newspaper.
He said the ministry had also blocked sites deemed offensive to God and the emir and which undermined what he called national unity, in addition to sites promoting pornography.
Mazeedi said the ministry was applying the law and "aims to preserve Islamic values." Before blocking any site, the ministry had taken permission from the public prosecution.
A number of MPs have described the ministry's monitoring of blogs as a breach of the constitution and threatened to question Communications Minister Mohammed al-Baseeri in parliament.
Last year, the public prosecution questioned Mohammed Abdulqader al-Jassem for writing an article on his website deemed offensive to the country's crown prince.
In 2007, blogger and journalist Bashar al-Sayegh was detained for two days after comments deemed offensive to the Gulf state's ruler were posted on his website.
The man who posted the comments, a Kuwaiti citizen, was jailed for two years.
"The ministry has blocked blogs ... used by some to communicate with terror cells and extremist groups," communications ministry undersecretary Abdulmohsen al-Mazeedi told Kuwait's An-Nahar newspaper.
He said the ministry had also blocked sites deemed offensive to God and the emir and which undermined what he called national unity, in addition to sites promoting pornography.
Mazeedi said the ministry was applying the law and "aims to preserve Islamic values." Before blocking any site, the ministry had taken permission from the public prosecution.
A number of MPs have described the ministry's monitoring of blogs as a breach of the constitution and threatened to question Communications Minister Mohammed al-Baseeri in parliament.
Last year, the public prosecution questioned Mohammed Abdulqader al-Jassem for writing an article on his website deemed offensive to the country's crown prince.
In 2007, blogger and journalist Bashar al-Sayegh was detained for two days after comments deemed offensive to the Gulf state's ruler were posted on his website.
The man who posted the comments, a Kuwaiti citizen, was jailed for two years.