Egyptian authorities swept up the entire editorial team of one of the country’s few independent media, accusing them on Thursday of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, reports BritPanorama.
The arrest this week of the six journalists of Matsadaash (Arabic for “Don’t Believe”) sparked an outcry from international and regional rights groups who called it an “alarming escalation on independent media and freedom of expression.”
Authorities accused the six of being members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, alleging they produced fabricated news for an online outlet in exchange for foreign funding.
Matsadaash co-founder Abdelrahman Mansour denied the allegations and stated that he and their families have no idea where they are.
“Everyone on this team knew the risks when they went to work every day, but it’s unacceptable for the government to make false accusations and forcibly disappear journalists just because they’re afraid of a free press,” he said, speaking from outside Egypt.
“Their families are worried, we’re worried, we just want them released unharmed.”
Founded eight years ago as a fact-checking platform, it has since expanded into investigative reporting in Egypt and other Arab countries.
Mansour noted that two of the outlet’s editors were arrested in 2023 but were released without charge after State Security investigators found no affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.
“It’s very difficult for us to understand why this is happening,” he expressed.
According to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, Egypt is among the world’s worst jailers of journalists. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights states that 26 journalists are currently behind bars in Egypt.
The journalists’ whereabouts are unknown
Egypt’s Interior Ministry described Matsadaash as an unlicensed page managed from abroad by a “fugitive Brotherhood member,” identifying Mansour as such.
It stated that the six detained individuals were part of a Brotherhood “media committee” that prepared false and fabricated news for Mansour to publish. Only one of the six is a member of the Journalists’ Syndicate, the national press union, according to the statement. Legal measures have been taken, but no specific charges were detailed.
The first arrest took place on Monday night at the home of Abdallah Qadry, according to Mansour. The other five members were taken on Tuesday, starting with Mohamed Abu Emaira, who was arrested from his home in the early hours. Mansour reported that Emaira’s library and internet router were destroyed during the arrest.
Omar Helal was apprehended in Port Said, and Islam Barakat in Gharbia Governorate. Two other members of Matsadaash’s staff, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel, were arrested in Cairo.
All had their cellphones and computers confiscated.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights indicated that the whereabouts of all six remain unknown. “They have not been allowed to contact their families or legal team,” the advocacy group emphasized. This marks the first time an entire newsroom has been arrested in Egypt.
Rights groups call for the journalists’ release
Matsadaash, established in 2018 as an online platform, has gained credibility and a substantial following in Egypt, where independent media face significant challenges and government censorship over newspapers and TV networks predominates. While the Matsadaash website is blocked in Egypt, its Facebook page boasts over one million followers.
Over 80 international and regional rights groups, civil society organizations, and independent media have urged the Egyptian authorities to release the journalists, condemning what they describe as an escalating crackdown on independent media.
“Matsadaash has operated openly for years and has built a reputation for credible and accurate reporting on a range of public interest issues across Egypt,” stated the petition signed by groups including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders. “Egyptian authorities’ failure to allow free expression to thrive flies in the face of a purported commitment to dialogue, transparency, anti-corruption, and regional leadership.”
Accusations of affiliation with the Brotherhood are common in Egypt, which designated the group as a terrorist organization in 2013 following the military ousting of then-President Mohammed Morsi, a senior Brotherhood figure. Since that time, authorities have recurrently accused journalists and critics of belonging to the group or spreading false news.
The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in 1928 in Egypt, began as a social and religious movement opposing British colonial rule, evolving into one of the Sunni Muslim world’s most influential Islamist movements, establishing branches in numerous countries. Egyptian authorities have oscillated between tolerating and repressing the group over the decades, permitting it to field candidates in elections for brief periods.
The Muslim Brotherhood is also banned in Jordan, and its branches are classified as terrorist organizations by several nations.
