Kuwait in 2005 was hailed as a budding Arab democracy, with among the freest press in the Arab world. In the aftermath of the 2011 Arab revolutions the government of the Emir began prosecuting critics in the press and even ordinary citizens commenting at blogs or on social media, accusing them of political libel.
About the Author
Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment. He is Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Follow him on Twitter at @jricole or the Informed Comment Facebook Page