Kuwait acquits journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin after 7 weeks in detention

American-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been acquitted of all charges against him in Kuwait, a press freedom watchdog said Thursday, paving the way for an end to his weeks-long detention for having shared footage of damage from the Iran war.

The New York–based Committee to Protect Journalists announced that a Kuwaiti court had acquitted Shihab-Eldin. He has been detained for 52 days, after being arrested March 3, according to the organization.

The committee said it is still ascertaining details of the case, but added that the journalist is “expected to be released imminently.” The Kuwaiti embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Al-Monitor’s request for comment, and authorities in the Gulf state have yet to release further information.

Shihab-Eldin, a journalist of Palestinian origin who has worked for a number of outlets, including Al Jazeera and The New York Times, had been in Kuwait visiting family. He last posted on his Substack on March 2, when he shared publicly available photos and videos of a US fighter jet that had crashed in Kuwait amid the US-Israeli war with Iran and its regional fallout.

At the time, Kuwaiti authorities were attempting to limit what people could share about the war, and the Information Ministry said on March 4 that it had referred “several media law violators” to prosecutors. One of the charges made against Shihab-Eldin was for spreading false information.

Since the war began, Kuwait has been targeted by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones, which have caused the deaths of at least six US soldiers as well as one civilian. Facilities at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the Ali Al Salem Air Base and the main airport are among the sites that have been impacted. 

Shihab-Eldin’s detention prompted widespread condemnation, with rights groups and officials, including Democratic Sens. Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen, calling for his release.