In January, Adel Aidan, a correspondent working for the Arabic news channel Al-Arabiya, was detained by authorities shortly after the station aired a disputed report of clashes between Kuwaiti government forces and militants. According to press reports quoting Aidan's lawyer, the journalist was charged with "reporting false news that undermines the country's position internally and abroad." Aidan was released four days later.

In February, during a meeting with Kuwaiti newspaper editors, Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah threatened either to suspend or to shut down any newspaper that publishes information related to the government's fight against religious extremists.

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