Washington, D.C., August 11, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Kuwaiti authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kuwaiti political commentator
Mohammed Saleh al-Sabti
.
Al-Sabti was arrested in July after taking part in an interview on Saudi-owned channel Al-Arabiya, according to the independent media outlet
Newsroom
, as well as a Kuwaiti blogger and a rights activist who confirmed his arrest to CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns.
In the interview, al-Sabti called for calm and de-escalation, saying, “we hope Iran will submit to reason and make peace with its neighbors, and commit to agreements” — a statement that prompted
backlash
on social media. CPJ could not independently verify the conditions of his arrest or the charges against him.
“Al-Sabti’s arrest is the latest example of the deteriorating press freedom situation in Kuwait, which has worsened considerably since the start of the Iran war in early 2026,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “The Kuwaiti government must end the weaponization of wartime conditions as a pretext to silence journalists through arrest and citizenship revocation.”
Al-Sabti is a well-known Kuwaiti political commentator who has
written
for and
appeared
on several media outlets, including
Al-Arabiya
, Kuwait-based newspaper
Aljarida
, and the independent outlet
Arabi21
,
among others
.
Also in July, Kuwait issued Emiri Decree No. 121 of 2026,
revoking
the citizenship of six people, including exiled blogger
Mansoor al-Muhareb
and exiled freelance journalist
Abdullah al-Saleh
.
“This is a harsh retaliatory measure against us, aimed at repressing us and making an example of us to repress Kuwaiti society,” al-Muhareb told CPJ. “What is dangerous is these measures extend to our families.”
On April 29, 2026, Kuwaiti authorities
revoked
the citizenship of U.S.-Kuwaiti journalist
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin
and his two sisters, just days after his release from two
