Kuwait: Detaining Ahmed Shihab-Eldin — How far can the law stretch before it snaps?

Could sharing publicly available footage of a military incident land you in prison in Kuwait? Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin’s early March 2026 arrest for resharing already-circulated videos of alleged Kuwaiti friendly fire amid Iran tension brings this question into sharp focus. Understood to be facing charges of spreading false information and endangering national security, he exemplifies a pattern of broad security laws targeting journalism. Groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and CNN, as well as international media, note that the footage was in the public domain, warning that authorities may risk conflating reporting with crime when it’s most crucial. Shihab-Eldin is certainly not just a bystander. An American-born Kuwaiti journalist of Palestinian descent, he has worked for several prominent media […]