Egyptian journalist faces terrorism charges after entire newsroom detained
Egyptian authorities have detained six journalists from the independent fact-checking platform Matsadaash and charged one with joining a terrorist group. Rights groups describe the arrests as part of a broader crackdown on press freedom in the country.
Why it matters
The detention of an entire newsroom highlights the shrinking space for independent journalism and dissent under the current Egyptian administration.
Clockwise from top left: Mohamed Ashraf, Omar Helal, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Adel, Mohamed Mahmoud and Abdallah Qadri. Clockwise from top left: Mohamed Ashraf, Omar Helal, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Adel, Mohamed Mahmoud and Abdallah Qadri. Egypt Egyptian journalist faces terrorism charges after entire newsroom detained Calls for release of six Matsadaash staff after one is charged, while whereabouts of other five remain unknown
Prefer the Guardian on Google An Egyptian journalist has been charged with joining a terrorist group, days after an entire newsroom was detained in what rights groups have said is a crackdown on press freedoms.
Last week, authorities arrested six journalists from the independent fact-checking and investigative platform Matsadaash – literally meaning “don’t believe” – accusing them in a statement of being unlicensed and publishing false news on behalf of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood .
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