Kuwaiti authorities have detained a journalist working for Al Arabiya television for reporting a shootout between police and militants which was later denied by the Gulf state, the TV channel said Friday. Correspondent Adil Aidan was held after Kuwait said his report on Al Arabiya Wednesday that police arrested two gunmen after they fired on security forces was baseless. Defense attorney Nawaf al-Mutairi said the case will be sent to the public prosecutor Saturday and that Aidan could be charged with spreading information harmful to national interests. "Aidan had no bad intentions, and we hope that will be proved tomorrow," Mutairi told Reuters.
The satellite channel protested the detention, saying it had reported the Kuwaiti denial. In New York, the Committee to Protect Journalists also criticized the detention. "Arresting journalists for their work is a deplorable practice, and all the more troubling for Kuwait, which has prided itself on the relative freedom its press enjoys," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper in a statement. "We call on Kuwaiti officials to immediately release Adil Aidan." Kuwaiti officials were not immediately available to comment. |