Prominent Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Detained in Kuwait as Gulf Cracks Down on Free Speech During Iran War
Shihab-Eldin, who is a US citizen and long-standing critic of Israel, has been imprisoned for six weeks.
Human rights advocates are calling for Kuwait to immediately release prominent Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after he was arrested six weeks ago amid a wartime crackdown on press and speech.
Shihab-Eldin, a US citizen of Palestinian descent known for his excoriating commentary on Israel, was arrested in early March and has been in Kuwaiti detention since then without public justification. The Emmy-nominated journalist has previously worked with PBS, the New York Times, and Al Jazeera English.
“We call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him. 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,” Sara Qudah, the Committee to Protect Journalists MENA regional director, said in an emailed statement.
Qudah told Zeteo over the phone that Shihab-Eldin was on a personal trip visiting family when he was arrested. On March 2, Shihab-Eldin shared photos and videos that had been published by CNN or were circulating online that showed a fighter jet crash over Kuwait near a US air base. The posts appeared to show a friendly fire incident where Kuwaiti air defenses shot down three US planes. No pilots were killed. Shihab-Eldin has not posted on social media since March 2.
Six weeks into his detention, Qudah said Shihab-Eldin’s charges have still not been made public, and Kuwaiti authorities have not responded to CPJ’s questions about Shihab-Eldin’s condition in prison and the grounds for his arrest. But she said it appears authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his phone.
According to Drop Site, shortly after the war in Iran began, Kuwait’s Information Ministry published media “guidelines,” which include a ban on publishing or circulating “rumors, unverified news, or misleading information” or content that could offend “brotherly or friendly countries or that could harm Kuwait’s foreign relations.
CPJ called the unconfirmed charges “overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists.” The charges, if confirmed, carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, Qudah said.
UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese condemned the arrest on Tuesday, writing on social media that “journalism is not a crime.”
“One of the most gentle souls this genocide has brought into my life is Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a journalist of rare strength, unwavering integrity, and deep compassion,” Albanese said.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed in an email to Zeteo that the department was aware of reports of an American detained in Kuwait. The spokesperson did not confirm whether the State Department was working on securing Shihab-Eldin’s release, but said that the Trump administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.”
“Whenever an American is detained abroad, the Department works to provide consular assistance in accordance with our authorities under U.S. and international law,” the spokesperson said. “Due to privacy and other considerations, we have no further comment at this time.”
The Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington DC did not immediately return a request for comment.
Gulf-Wide Crackdown
Shihab-Eldin’s imprisonment comes as Gulf countries crack down on press freedoms. Across the Gulf, Qudah said hundreds of citizens have been arrested in recent weeks, simply for posting or reposting information on the war.
“Journalists are not being able to freely and safely report on what is happening inside their countries and in where they are working, which undermines their jobs and … what the public needs in terms of receiving credible and factual information,” Qudah said.
In Kuwait specifically, authorities have already made dozens of arbitrary arrests over social media posts, according to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights. Sources reportedly confirmed to the organization that most of the people arrested were held in secret prisons for several days and were denied contact with their families or lawyers – a common tool of intimidation.
Recent arrests in Kuwait include Fareah Alsaqqaf and Suad Al-Munayes, two activists currently in custody without access to attorneys or clear information on the basis for their arrest, according to HuMENA. Yitzchak Horowitz, a journalist with the ultra-Orthodox Israeli magazine, BeKehila, reported late last month that he had been arrested in Kuwait on suspicion of espionage after taking photos of US warships off the Gulf Coast. Horowitz said he was questioned for several hours before being released.
Former adviser to the UK’s Middle East peace envoy, Ashish Prashar, told Zeteo that arbitrarily imprisoning journalists under the guise of national security is a “grave misstep.”
“Journalism is fundamentally about telling the truth; it is essential work, an act of service, and one the public needs in order to make informed decisions,” Prashar said. “The State Department and Foreign Office need to demand the release of all media workers from their allies in the Gulf. Anything less would be an abandonment of their ethical obligations and an endorsement of authoritarian practices.”
The State Department and the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington, DC, did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the State Department’s comment.
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It’s not the Iran war, it’s the illegal unprovoked US-Israeli war against Iran
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