Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Acquitted After Arrest In Kuwait

Kuwaiti American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin is expected to be released after being detained in Kuwait at the beginning of last month, it was announced Thursday.

It was previously reported that Shihab-Eldin, whose past work includes reporting for HuffPost, was arrested on March 3 and faced prosecution in a special court for social media posts related to the Iran war.

The Committee to Protect Journalists announced in a statement that he would be released.

“CPJ welcomes the news that journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been acquitted. Full details are still being determined, but the international legal team confirms that the journalist has been found innocent of the charges and is expected to be released shortly,” the organization said.

The charges included spreading false information, harming national security and misusing a mobile phone. Guard.

A human rights lawyer in England also announced that he was acquitted, citing the international legal team.

Caoilfhionn Gallagher, international lawyer for Shihab-Eldin’s sisters Lara and Luma Eldin, said in a statement: “We are relieved that Ahmed was found innocent of all charges after 52 days in detention.” “Our focus right now is to ensure our customer’s freedom and safety, and we will provide further details once these are confirmed.”

It was not immediately clear what online activity may have led to Shihab-Eldin’s arrest, but the 41-year-old shared an image on his own account on March 2. Bottom stack page A US Air Force fighter plane that crashed west of Kuwait City. On the same day, Kuwait Ministry of Internal Affairs warned against Filming or publishing videos or information about Iranian attacks.

“None of his posts were photos or videos he took himself,” CPJ said. online petition calls for his release.

This is an evolving story. Check back for updates.