NPC Statement on Arrest of Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement on the reported arrest of American-Kuwaiti journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin in Kuwait:

"We voice great concern on the reported arrest of Ahmed Shihab-Eldin by Kuwaiti authorities, in a move that appears designed to further government censorship of the ongoing Iran war and intimidate journalists from reporting outside of official government narratives.

We join international press freedom organizations in calling for the immediate release of Shihab-Eldin and for full transparency regarding any charges against him.

That Shihab-Eldin had reported on a friendly-fire incident in which Kuwaiti air defense shot down U.S. aircraft has not gone unnoticed. His arrest raises concerns as to the extent Kuwaiti authorities will go to stifle independent reporting on the war and reflects a larger pattern of censorship across the Gulf that has accelerated since the recent outbreak of hostilities.

The public has the right to know the facts of the conflict as they occur. Criminalizing the work of journalists like Shihab-Eldin isn't merely an attack on independent reporting – it deprives the public of the information they need to navigate a rapidly changing conflict with far-reaching global effects."

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. With 2,500 members, the Club is a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Beth Francesco, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, [email protected].

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SOURCE National Press Club