US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2335

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AL-ARABIYA REPORTER ACQUITTED OF HARMING NATIONAL INTEREST

Identifier: 05KUWAIT2335
Wikileaks: View 05KUWAIT2335 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Kuwait
Created: 2005-05-30 13:49:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: PREL PHUM KPAO KU Press Fredom
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.


 
UNCLAS KUWAIT 002335 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KPAO, KU, Press Fredom 
SUBJECT: AL-ARABIYA REPORTER ACQUITTED OF HARMING NATIONAL 
INTEREST 
 
1. (U) A criminal court acquitted Kuwaiti correspondent Adel 
Eidan on May 21 of charges he had harmed the national 
interest.  Eidan, a reporter for the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya 
satellite television network, was detained on January 4 and 
charged with "spreading false news that harmed national 
interests" after the network aired reports, later retracted, 
of an alleged gunfight between Islamic radicals and security 
forces. 
 
2. (U) Eidan, who had been free on bail and working since 
January 8, told Agence France Press (AFP) on May 28 that he 
felt "the court has treated me fairly and cleared my name and 
credibility as a journalist."  Eidan's four day January 
detention had provoked dismay and anger from local and 
international journalists, who protested the move as 
illegitimate and had called for his release. 
LEBARON 

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