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CPJ calls on Kuwait to release US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

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CPJ calls on Kuwait to release US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

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Washington, D.C., April 13, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kuwaiti authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin.

Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning journalist who posts prolifically on social media, has not posted online or been seen in public in Kuwait – where he was visiting family – since March 2. It is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone – vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists.  

“We call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Journalism is not a crime, and Shihab-Eldin’s case reflects a broader pattern of using national security laws to stifle scrutiny and control the narrative.”

Prior to his detention, Shihab-Eldin – who has contributed to The New York Times, PBS, and Al Jazeera English, among others – commented on publicly available videos and images related to the Iran war. His recent posts included a geolocated video, verified by CNN, showing a U.S. fighter jet crash near a U.S. air base in Kuwait. 

His detention came amid military escalations during the Iran war, with Kuwaiti authorities – and other Gulf countries— imposing increasingly tight censorship over the press. On March 2, a few days after the start of the Iran war, Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior warned against filming or publishing videos or information related to Iranian attacks, noting that several people were arrested for spreading false news. The Ministry of Information has also referred individuals accused of violating media laws to the Public Prosecution.

On March 15, Kuwait enacted Law No. 13 of 2026, aimed at safeguarding and protecting the supreme interests of military authorities, including the army, police and the National Guard. Article 26 imposes prison sentences up to 10 years for anyone who “disseminates news, publishes statements, or spreads false rumors related to military entities” with the intent of undermining confidence in them.

Yitzchak Horowitz, a journalist for the weekly Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) newspaper BeKehila, reported on March 26 that he had been arrested earlier in Kuwait on suspicion of espionage after photographing U.S. warships off the Gulf coast. He said he was questioned for several hours about his identity, his ties to Israel, and whether he had a military background before being released.

In 2025, CPJ submitted a joint report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, ahead of Kuwait’s Universal Periodic Review, documenting an escalating crackdown on journalists and press freedom in the country.

CPJ emailed the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment but received no immediate response.

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