The Committee to Protect Journalists is urging the immediate release of Kuwaiti American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who was detained in Kuwait for his social media activity during the recent military tensions in the Iran conflict. Shihab-Eldin’s arrest in early March coincided with a broader crackdown on freedom of the press and social media posts regarding military actions in the Persian Gulf and Israel.
While visiting family in Kuwait, Shihab-Eldin found himself in custody after the outbreak of the Iran conflict on February 28, involving neighboring countries. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that he has not been active on social media or seen in public in Kuwait since March 2. Allegations against Shihab-Eldin include spreading false information, posing a threat to national security, and misusing his cellphone – accusations commonly used to silence independent journalists.
CPJ’s regional director, Sara Qudah, has demanded the release of Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and the dismissal of all charges against him, emphasizing that journalism is not a crime and highlighting the broader issue of using national security laws to suppress critical voices.
It remains unclear which specific social media posts led to his detention, but CPJ revealed that Shihab-Eldin had commented on publicly available videos and images related to the Iran conflict before his arrest. His social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook, and X, have been inactive since April 14, displaying messages indicating that the accounts are either non-existent or unavailable.
Ashish Prashar, a political strategist based in New York and a former advisor on Middle East peace, strongly criticized Shihab-Eldin’s arrest, labeling it as an arbitrary act that endangers press freedom. He called on the state department to intervene and secure Shihab-Eldin’s release, condemning any tolerance of authoritarian practices.
In the midst of the military conflict, Kuwait imposed strict censorship rules to prevent the dissemination of information that could aid adversaries. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Kuwait’s Ministry of the Interior issued warnings against sharing content related to Iranian attacks, leading to the arrest of individuals spreading misinformation. Various arrests have been reported in the region for posting social media content mocking the government or filming military operations using drones.
Since the onset of the conflict on February 28, which saw the U.S. and Israel launching attacks on Iran, followed by retaliations across the region, CPJ has observed numerous violations against journalists, including arrests, disruptions in reporting, attacks on media infrastructure, and severe restrictions on coverage. The organization reported that nine journalists have been killed, 11 detained or interrogated, and nine media outlets damaged in airstrikes, with additional cases of journalists being targeted, assaulted, threatened, or harassed.
Furthermore, CPJ highlighted censorship measures in various Middle Eastern countries, such as a nationwide internet blackout in Iran imposed on February 28, subsequently lifted amid violent crackdowns on mass protests in January.