Kuwaiti royal arrested for 'torturing' Syrian expat

A member of Kuwait's royal family has been charged with assaulting and torturing a Syrian, according to local newspaper Al-Rai.

The unnamed Kuwaiti royal reportedly held a Syrian citizen hostage for 12 hours due to a financial dispute, while a gang of men was gathered to insult and beat the capitve with sticks and shoes. The Syrian man's phone was also stolen.

Once freed, the man immediately filed a complaint with police against the royal.

"The case was referred to the public prosecution, and criminal investigation officers began gathering information to arrest the accused and listen to his statements, as it turned out that there are a few other cases registered against him," the source told the newspaper.

Many Kuwaitis claimed on social media that the case shows that even royals are not above the law in the country.

Last month, Kuwait’s ruler fired his own son and another cabinet minister after they publicly clashed over accusations of corruption, ordering the prime minister to form a new government.

Kuwait is the only Gulf state with a fully elected parliament and the government is controlled by the ruling family.

The oil-rich country has been shaken by a series of political disputes between lawmakers and the government for over a decade, with parliament and cabinets dissolved several times.