Six detained journalists from the independent Egyptian fact-checking platform Matsadaash have

Six detained journalists from the independent Egyptian fact-checking platform Matsadaash have brought the total number of imprisoned journalists in Egypt to 26, according to counts by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights and the Journalists Syndicate. The arrest of the entire six-person staff marks a sharp escalation in pressures on independent media in the country, where Reporters Without Borders ranks Egypt 169th out of 180 nations on its press freedom index.

The Arrest of the Matsadaash Staff Across Multiple Egyptian Governorates

Plainclothes security forces raided the homes of four Matsadaash team members across several Egyptian governorates, while two others were arrested on a street in Cairo. The independent platform specializes in open-source investigations and fact-checking Egyptian and Arab content, maintaining over one million followers on Facebook. The detained staff members are identified as Abdullah Qadri, Mohammad Ashraf, Mohammad Adel, Islam Barakat, Mohammad Mahmoud, and Omar Hilal, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, security forces confiscated phones and computers during the raids without showing search warrants or disclosing reasons for the apprehension.

Accusations From the Ministry of Interior and Denials From the Platform

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior defended the arrests by stating that Matsadaash is unlicensed, operates from abroad, and spreads false news while allegedly linking to media committees of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Matsadaash denied any political group affiliation, pointing out that it previously published reports debunking false news and statements circulated by figures aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East and North Africa director Bassam Khawaja stated, Tearing down an entire newsroom in a matter of hours without prior warning or reason sends a terrifying message to all journalists working in Egypt, as cited by DW.com.

Torture Allegations and Prosecution Proceedings Before the Supreme State Security Prosecution

Defense lawyers representing the detained journalists stated that most of the staff members testified before the Supreme State Security Prosecution that they suffered various forms of torture and ill-treatment while detained in National Security Sector locations prior to judicial review, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. The reported abuses included being bound from behind, blindfolded during interrogations, beaten, stripped of clothing, subjected to electric shocks, and threatened with harm to themselves or their families. The EIPR reported that lawyers stated officers coerced the journalists into reading scripted confessions before cameras from provided papers to fabricate evidence. The prosecution ordered at least one journalist to undergo a medical examination and scheduled further hearings.

Open-Ended Sit-In at the Press Syndicate Following Interior Ministry Statements

Journalist Mostafa Bassiouni stated during the protest that the danger extends to all independent journalists in the country, warning of a severe threat to the already narrow space for independent journalism. The Journalists Syndicate and the EIPR confirmed that the total count of journalists behind bars in Egypt reached 26 following the detention of the Matsadaash team.