An American-Kuwaiti journalist held for weeks in Kuwait during a crackdown on sharing footage of the US-Iran war has been cleared of all charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.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.
One of his last social media posts included a geolocated video, verified by CNN, that showed a US fighter jet crash near an American air base in Kuwait, according to the CPJ.
"We are relieved that Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been found innocent after 52 days in detention," Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the press watchdog, said in a statement.
"Ahmed's freedom and safety remain our topmost priority and we will continue to closely monitor his case."
The office of Caoilfhionn Gallagher, a lawyer representing two of the journalist's sisters, said he was expected to be released "imminently."
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.
