Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Leaves Kuwait After Release From Detention, U.S. Official Says

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) – U.S. Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who was detained in Kuwait for his online posts about the Iran war, has been released and left the Gulf country.

Shihab-Eldin, 41, has left Kuwait, a U.S. State Department official said Friday.

Last week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Shihab-Eldin had not been seen in public since March 2, after he was detained by Kuwaiti authorities during a Gulf state crackdown on people filming or filming the conflict that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Shihab-Eldin was visiting family in Kuwait and was arrested on March 3, according to CPJ. The media watchdog said he was accused of spreading false information, harming national security and misusing his mobile phone.

A Kuwaiti court acquitted Shihab-Eldin of all charges after almost two months of detention, CPJ said Thursday, citing a statement from lawyers for Shihab-Eldin’s sisters. CPJ said it welcomed the acquittal.

The press freedom group and other human rights advocates had previously called on Kuwait to release Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him.

“We can confirm that American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has left Kuwait safely. While in custody, the State Department was in contact with Mr. Shihab-Eldin and provided consular assistance,” a State Department official said.

The official had no further comment, citing privacy and other issues. Kuwait’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On March 15, Kuwait enacted a law that includes a provision of up to 10 years in prison for spreading false rumors with the aim of undermining trust in military establishments.

Before his detention, Shihab-Eldin had posted war-related videos and images on social media sites, including footage showing a US warplane crashing in Kuwait.

Shihab-Eldin describes himself as an independent journalist who has worked for international media outlets such as the New York Times, HBO, Vice, PBS, BBC and Al Jazeera.

The USA and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own attacks on Israel and the Gulf countries with US bases. US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began two weeks ago.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said on February 28 that the public should avoid filming missile intercepts, sharing such footage on social media, and filming security personnel at work, urging people to trust official sources.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington; Editing by Tom Hogue)