US EditionAhmed Shihab-Eldin: US-Kuwaiti Journalist Held in Kuwait Acquitted, Lawyers Say
The journalist was acquitted after 52 days in detention, and his legal team said he is expected to be released imminently.
- On Thursday, Kuwaiti authorities acquitted American-born journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after 52 days in detention, with his legal team confirming he was found innocent on all charges.
- Authorities arrested the 41-year-old on March 2 while visiting family in Kuwait, following his social media posts that included verified footage of a US F-15 fighter jet crashing near Kuwait City.
- Prosecutors accused Shihab-Eldin of spreading false information and harming national security; new legislation imposes up to 10 years in prison for anyone who disseminates news about military entities.
- Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said "Ahmed's freedom and safety remain our topmost priority," as the National Press Club welcomed the verdict.
- Kuwait imposed tighter restrictions on online speech to limit reporting on military infrastructure amid broader regional crackdowns during the US-Israeli war on Iran.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Jailed US-Kuwaiti Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Acquitted on All Charges
The head of the Committee to Protect Journalists has called Shihab-Eldin's arrest for social media posts about the Iran war part of a trend of “increasing restrictions on freedom of expression” in the Gulf states.
National Press Club statement on the acquittal today of American-born journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin in Kuwait
WASHINGTON, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement on the acquittal today of American-born journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin in Kuwait:
A Kuwaiti court on Thursday acquitted Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after being detained for 52 days in the midst of a censorship campaign imposed by the Persian Gulf country authorities for Iran's war, according to an NGO and the reporter's family's legal team.
U.S. Kuwaiti journalist held in Kuwait over war-related social media posts acquitted: lawyers
A Kuwaiti American journalist has been acquitted in Kuwait of all charges after nearly two months in detention during a crackdown on press freedom and social media posts on military activity in the Middle East amid Iran's war with the U.S. and Israel.
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