American Kuwaiti journalist held in Kuwait acquitted of all charges, lawyer says

American Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who had been detained by authorities in Kuwait since March, has been acquitted of all charges and is expected to be released imminently, lawyers representing his sisters announced Thursday.

This Video Is Trending Right Now →

“We are relieved that, after 52 days of detention, Ahmed has been found innocent on all charges,” attorney Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC said in a statement. “Our focus now is upon ensuring the liberty and safety of our client, and we will provide more details once they can be confirmed.”

Shihab-Eldin, an award-winning journalist who has worked for HuffPost and Al Jazeera, was visiting family in Kuwait when he was arrested on March 3. He had not posted online since March 2, and his Instagram and X accounts have vanished.

While the reason for Shihab-Eldin’s arrest remains unclear, some reports suggest the charges he faced were related to press restrictions in Kuwait. Gallagher KC did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.

The 41-year-old journalist shared publicly available videos and images related to the conflict in Iran in the days leading up to his detainment. The content Shihab-Eldin reposted was verified by other news outlets and was not his original content, according to the press freedom advocacy group Committee to Protect Journalists.