Ahmed Shihab-Eldin is an American-Kuwaiti journalist, producer and human rights defender known for his reporting on political and humanitarian issues in the Middle East, who has been arbitrarily detained in connection with his journalistic work in a context of increasing restrictions on freedom of expression in Kuwait. Shihab-Eldin has contributed to major international media outlets including BBC, Al Jazeera English, PBS and The New York Times, and is widely recognised for his coverage of conflict and social justice issues. On 03 March 2026, he was arrested by Kuwaiti authorities while visiting family in the country, shortly after publishing and sharing publicly available content online related to ongoing regional developments. He was charged with offences including spreading false information, harming national security and misusing his mobile phone, charges widely criticised by press freedom organisations as vague and overly broad. He was detained for 52 days without adequate transparency regarding the legal proceedings against him, raising serious concerns about due process and arbitrary detention. On 23 April 2026, a Kuwaiti court acquitted Shihab-Eldin of all charges. He was subsequently released and left the country shortly thereafter. His case coincided with a broader wave of prosecutions before the State Security and Terrorism Crimes Chamber of the Criminal Court, which on the same day issued verdicts against several social media users on charges including spreading false news, inciting sectarian strife and sympathising with a hostile state in relation to their online expression.

In a statement issued on 29 April 2026 by international legal counsel representing Shihab-Eldin, he said: “I am free – but many remain behind bars in Kuwait and across the region for speaking the truth. Today, my sisters and I have become part of the more than 50,000 Kuwaitis who have had their citizenship revoked.”