KUWAIT CITY, July 15 (UPI) -- The Kuwaiti government threatened to revoke the citizenship of dissidents as part of a crackdown following protests over the arrest of an opposition politician.

Opposition leaders in Kuwait, a prosperous and relatively free society in the Middle East, called for dismissal of Parliament and new elections after the cabinet adopted tough measures stemming from protests Monday. Police, using smoke bombs, dispersed hundreds of people attempting to march in support of Musallam al-Barak, arrested for allegedly insulting Kuwait's judiciary.


A statement by the cabinet said "the Interior Ministry is assigned to take all measures that are necessary to ensure the presence of the conditions and requirements provided for by Kuwaiti citizenship law number 15 of 1959, both in form and spirit, and especially in relation to the practices aimed at undermining security and stability," according to the state news agency KUNA.

While Kuwait has no political parties, "political societies" with differing viewpoints are accepted, although none are represented in Parliament because of a 2013 boycott of elections. Tuesday, opposition groups expressed fears Kuwait would turn into a police state.

"This is an invitation for security agencies to suppress peaceful protests by the opposition ... a threat to revoke citizenship and curb non-profit organizations," a statement by the leftist Progressive Movement said.

The proposed revocation of citizenship, analysts noted, is likely aimed at Muslim Brotherhood members who are naturalized Kuwaiti citizens.