Washington, DC [US], April 25 : The US State Department has announced the release of a Kuwaiti-American journalist who was previously detained in Kuwait, following an intervention by the Trump administration.
Officials confirmed that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been freed and has subsequently been "permitted to depart from the country." The journalist had reportedly been held for over 50 days amidst a regional crackdown on the sharing of footage related to the ongoing conflict.
A State Department official stated that Shihab-Eldin has safely left the Gulf nation, though the department declined to provide "further specifics regarding the release," citing "privacy considerations."
According to a report by Fox News, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) CEO Jodie Ginsberg expressed significant comfort regarding the development, stating, "We are relieved that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been found innocent after 52 days in detention."
The journalist was originally taken into custody on March 3 whilst visiting relatives in the Gulf nation and faced various allegations, including "spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone."
These charges were described by the CPJ as "vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists," according to Fox News. The organisation further noted, "Ahmed's freedom and safety remain our topmost priority and we will continue to closely monitor his case."
Prior to his arrest, Shihab-Eldin, whose career includes work for the BBC, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times, had shared footage of a US fighter jet crash in the vicinity of an American military base in Kuwait.
Fox News highlighted that the arrest coincided with a period of heightened restrictions, as Kuwait's Ministry of Interior had issued a warning against sharing images of missiles or strategic sites.
Furthermore, a local decree now mandates up to a decade in prison for anyone who undermines "the prestige of the military or deliberately works toward eroding public trust in them."
The Trump administration reportedly prioritised the case through diplomatic channels, with a State Department spokesperson previously informing Fox News that the government "has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans."
The official added that in any instance "whenever an American is detained abroad, the Department works to provide consular assistance in accordance with our authorities under U.S. and international law."
A representative for the journalist's family has since confirmed his acquittal.
Fox News also cited the Gulf Centre for Human Rights, which indicated that dozens of individuals have been detained in similar cases involving freedom of expression since regional tensions escalated.
Throughout the ordeal, the CPJ had urged the public to support the journalist using hashtags such as #freeahmed and #journalismisnotacrime.
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