By Brian Stelter, CNN
(CNN) — Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a Kuwaiti-American journalist known for his work at VICE, HuffPost and Al Jazeera, has been detained in Kuwait, according to press freedom advocates, after sharing videos related to the Iran war.
The arrest comes as Kuwait and other Gulf states have cracked down on individuals for posting imagery of Iranian missile strikes and other subject matter deemed sensitive. Watchdog groups have decried the strict laws.
In Shihab-Eldin’s case, he had been sharing information on his Substack and social media when the war began, but suddenly stopped posting on March 2.
He was in Kuwait, visiting family, at the time. Friends believe he has been in custody for nearly six weeks. On Tuesday, they went public about his case with the hope that publicity would help secure his release.
“We call on Kuwait to release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin and drop all charges against him,” Sara Qudah, regional director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement. “Journalism is not a crime, and Shihab-Eldin’s case reflects a broader pattern of using national security laws to stifle scrutiny and control the narrative.”
The advocacy group also said “it is understood that authorities have charged him with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone – vague and overly broad accusations that are routinely used to silence independent journalists.”
CNN has reached out to the Kuwaiti government for comment.
Shihab-Eldin’s friends have pointed out that the images and videos he shared on Substack were already in the public domain. For instance, he reshared a CNN video of a US Air Force fighter jet crash over Kuwait.
But Kuwaiti officials warned citizens against photographing or publishing “any clips or information related to missiles or relevant locations.”
“Such actions are being closely monitored and dealt with firmly, with violators referred to the relevant authorities for legal action,” the Kuwait Times reported earlier this month.
The Gulf Centre for Human Rights said in a recent report that the war has been used by Gulf states “to stifle free speech, confiscate citizens’ public freedoms, and target journalists, bloggers, and online activists who express opinions that do not align with government policies.”
“These individuals are subjected to arbitrary imprisonment and detention, and unfair trials on fabricated charges using counterterrorism and cybercrime laws,” the group said.
In the United Arab Emirates, there have been numerous reports about people being arrested for sharing photos of missile strikes.
News of Shihab-Eldin’s detention broke through on Tuesday in part because he has been a high-profile media personality for more than a decade.
In 2011 he co-created and co-hosted “The Stream,” a pioneering show on Al Jazeera English, and then he went on to help launch HuffPost’s live streaming network. He has been a guest on CNN and numerous other networks.
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