Kuwaiti journalist Al-Saeed apologizes to Iraq, withdraws from political life

Shafaq News / On Monday, Kuwaiti journalist Fajr Al-Saeed issued a formal apology to the Iraqi people for her previous statements and positions.

In her apology, Al-Saeed emphasized that “her work has always aimed to document and strengthen Kuwaiti-Iraqi relations, urging both nations to move past old grievances and heal longstanding wounds.”

She formally apologized to the Republic of Iraq—addressing its government and people, including Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani and the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—and announced her decision to withdraw from all forms of political work, including political criticism.

The Kuwaiti Public Prosecutor issued a decision on Sunday to detain Al-Saeed for 21 days as a precautionary measure, referring her to the central prison. She is expected to appear before a detention renewal judge to determine whether her detention will continue until her trial date. This marks the second such incident in a short period; in January, Al-Saeed was detained for a similar duration on charges related to advocating normalization with Israel and harming Kuwait's national interests. That case was based on a complaint from the Ministry of Interior, which accused her of violating the unified boycott law of Israel No. 21 of 1964, a statute that criminalizes any dealings or calls for normalization with Israel.

Al-Saeed, a prominent and often controversial figure in the Gulf media landscape, has previously voiced strong opinions on issues such as the suppression of freedoms, constitutional violations, leaks, corruption, and mismanagement within the government and Prime Minister Al-Sudani's office. At the end of last year, she revealed that Al-Sudani had filed a lawsuit against her in response to her statements on these subjects.