A prominent Kuwaiti blogger has gone on a hunger strike to protest his detention by authorities, who accuse him of insulting the ruler and inciting the overthrow of government, his lawyer said.

Mohammad Abdul-Kader Al-Jassem, a journalist and blogger who is a staunch critic of the government, was detained on Tuesday following a complaint from the office of Kuwait's ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, according lawyer Attorney Abdullah Al-Ahmad.

Jassem had refused to eat or take heart medicine since Wednesday night, the lawyer said.

"There is no evidence to base accusations on," Ahmad said, adding that Jassem was being questioned for writings on his website, blog and three political books he published after they were licensed by authorities.

A government spokesman could not be reached for comment.   

On his website, Jassem has directly criticised the ruling family. He had also called on the emir to remove the prime minister from office, questioning his policies and competence. - Reuters