情報通信審議会 電気通信事業政策部会 ユニバーサルサービス政策委員会(第51回)・ユニバーサルサービス制度における交付金・負担金の算定等に関するワーキンググループ(第8回) 合同会合

5 days 17 hours ago
情報通信審議会 電気通信事業政策部会 ユニバーサルサービス政策委員会(第51回)・ユニバーサルサービス制度における交付金・負担金の算定等に関するワーキンググループ(第8回) 合同会合
総務省

【支部リポート】北九州 大災害、風化させるな 今年も宮古・田老など取材・交流=杉山 正隆

5 days 20 hours ago
 死者・行方不明者1万8420人、関連死3800人余の東日本大震災・原発事故から15年。災害列島日本でも屈指の大災害は、人災の側面も強く教訓も多い。決して風化させてはならない。 北九州支部は発生直後から継続的に現地に赴き、復興状況やメディアの報道などを確認し伝えてきた。今年も3月10日から3日間、岩手県宮古市や田老町を中心に取材した。 想定を超した大津波はあの日、田老町の高さ10・65㍍、総延長2・4㌔の巨大防潮堤をほぼ破壊。住民4434人のうち181人が亡くなり、リアス式海..
JCJ

EFF Calls on Kuwait to Release Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

5 days 22 hours ago

EFF calls on the Kuwaiti government to immediately release journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. An award-winning journalist and television host who worked for Al Jazeera for many years, Shihab-Eldin—a dual American-Kuwaiti citizen—was arrested in Kuwait on March 3 while visiting family. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported yesterday that it is believed he has been charged with spreading false information, harming national security, and misusing his mobile phone.

According to the Guardian, Shihab-Eldin published footage of a U.S. Air Force F-15 E Strike Eagle crash, and posted to his Substack about the incident, noting that video circulating online showed local residents assisting the crash survivors. 

Kuwait is one of several countries that has recently cracked down on reporting amidst the ongoing war. Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior posted on X on March 3—the same day Shihab-Eldin was arrested—warning people in the country “not to photograph or publish any clips or information related to missiles or relevant locations.” Earlier this month, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlighted a new decree in Kuwait banning the circulation of reports that seek to “undermine the prestige of the military” or erode public trust in it. 

As reported by local media, the decree states that “those who intentionally publish statements or news or circulate false reports and rumors about military authorities resulting in weakening the trust in them and their morale, in addition to undermining their prestige, are punishable by three to 10 years in jail and a fine between KD 5,000 and 10,000.” The decree also imposes a penalty ranging from seven years to life imprisonment for “authorized people who cause financial loss or damage to the military authorities while carrying out a transaction, operation, project or case or obtaining any profit from such deals.”

In contrast to neighboring Gulf states, Kuwait has historically allowed the press to operate with relative freedom, and even introduced a law in 2020 protecting the right to access information. In practice, however, the government exercises considerable control over the media. Furthermore, there are several laws, including cybercrime legislation introduced in 2016, that restrict freedom of expression.

EFF is deeply concerned that Ahmed has not been seen nor heard from in nearly six weeks. We call on the government of Kuwait to immediately release Ahmed Shihab-Eldin. 






Jillian C. York