WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, who was detained in Kuwait over online posts related to the Iran war, has been released and departed the Gulf nation.
A U.S. State Department official said on Friday that Shihab-Eldin, 41, had left Kuwait.
Last week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Shihab-Eldin had not been seen in public since March 2, after being detained by Kuwaiti authorities during a crackdown by Gulf nations on people filming or posting footage from the conflict that started when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.
Shihab-Eldin had been visiting family in Kuwait and was arrested on March 3, according to CPJ. The media watchdog said he was charged with spreading false information, harming national security and misusing his mobile phone.
A Kuwaiti court acquitted Shihab-Eldin on all charges following nearly two months of detention, CPJ said on Thursday, citing a statement from lawyers for Shihab-Eldin’s sisters. CPJ said it welcomed the acquittal.
