Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been stripped of Kuwaiti citizenship days after his release and departure, despite being acquitted of all charges following weeks in detention [Getty]
Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of US-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, just days after he was released from detention and left the country.
The decision was issued on Wednesday by Kuwait’s Supreme Committee for Nationality Affairs, which ordered the withdrawal of citizenship from 21 individuals under Article 11 of the nationality law, which prohibits dual nationality, according to a special supplement published in the official gazette.
Shihab-Eldin, 41, who is of Palestinian origin, holds both US and Kuwaiti citizenship and was among those named in the decision.
The move comes shortly after the journalist departed Kuwait following weeks in detention.
The US State Department confirmed last Friday that Shihab-Eldin had “safely left” the country, noting that consular assistance had been provided during his detention.
He was arrested on 3 March while visiting Kuwait and held for more than seven weeks. Authorities accused him of spreading false information, harming national security and misusing a mobile phone.
On 23 April, a Kuwaiti court acquitted him of all charges, with rights groups welcoming the decision and calling for his immediate release.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, one of Shihab-Eldin’s final social media posts before his arrest included geolocated footage, later verified by CNN, showing the crash of a US fighter jet near a military base in Kuwait.
Campaigners said the case reflected a wider crackdown on freedom of expression across the Gulf, where authorities have targeted hundreds of individuals for sharing images and videos related to Iranian attacks during the regional conflict that began on 28 February, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran. The fighting continued almost daily until a ceasefire took effect on 8 April.
Shihab-Eldin is an award-winning independent journalist who has contributed to several international outlets, including The New Arab, Al Jazeera English and The New York Times.
The decision to strip his citizenship forms part of Kuwait’s enforcement of Article 11, which stipulates that a Kuwaiti national loses their citizenship if they voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality.
The law also extends to spouses and minor children who acquire nationality through the father, and requires naturalised citizens to renounce any other citizenship within three months or risk having their Kuwaiti nationality considered void.
The case adds to growing scrutiny of Kuwait’s nationality policies and press freedoms, with rights groups warning that legal provisions related to national security and dual citizenship are increasingly being used against journalists and public figures.
