US-Kuwaiti journalist released after war coverage detention

WASHINGTON: An American-Kuwaiti journalist has been released after being held for weeks in Kuwait during a crackdown on sharing footage of the US-Iran war, a US State Department official said Friday.

Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who has contributed to The New York Times, PBS, and Al Jazeera English, was arrested on March 3 for allegedly spreading false information, harming national security and misusing his mobile phone.

A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Friday that Shihab-Eldin “has safely departed Kuwait.”

“While in detention, the State Department was in contact with Mr Shihab-Eldin and provided consular assistance,” the official added.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday that Shihab-Eldin had been cleared of all the charges against him after 52 days in detention.

One of Shihab-Eldin’s last social media posts before his arrest included a geolocated video, verified by CNN, that showed a US fighter jet crash near a US air base in Kuwait, according to the CPJ.

Hundreds of people have been arrested across the Gulf for sharing images of attacks and the resulting damage.

The strikes occurred almost daily from the start of the Middle East conflict on February 28 until a ceasefire came into effect on April 8.