ADC Calls for Immediate Release of U.S. Citizen and Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Detained in Kuwait

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2026

Washington, D.C. — The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) calls for the immediate release of Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a U.S. citizen and journalist who was arrested in Kuwait on March 3 and has remained in detention for six weeks. His detention only came to light publicly today.

Reports indicate Kuwaiti authorities arrested Ahmed after he posted material related to the downing of U.S. aircraft over Kuwait near a U.S. air base. He is an American citizen, and now that his detention is public, the White House and U.S. Department of State should move with urgency and press for his release.

“Ahmed Shihab-Eldin has been sitting in detention in Kuwait since March 3, and the public is only learning about it now,” said Abed Ayoub, National Executive Director of ADC. “He is a U.S. citizen and a journalist, which raises serious concerns about speech, press freedom, and the treatment of Americans abroad.  His detention demands immediate public action from the White House and the State Department, and there should be no ambiguity about that.”

Ahmed’s detention will resonate deeply across Arab American communities, especially among journalists, advocates, and public voices who speak openly about Palestine, U.S. foreign policy, and war in the region. Cases like this carry consequences far beyond one person, especially when an American is detained over speech-related allegations and the facts remain obscured for weeks.

ADC urges the White House and the U.S. Department of State to act immediately and publicly to secure Ahmed Shihab-Eldin’s release and press for any charges against him to be dropped in full.