Egyptian Journalists Decide to Protest for Six Detained Colleagues
The arrest and allegations of torture of six journalists working for the independent platform Matsadaash are sparking protests in Egypt.
Egyptian journalists are preparing to hold a weekend protest in Cairo following the detention of six colleagues from the independent news platform Matsadaash on terrorism charges.
Six Journalists from Matsadaash Detained
Six journalists working for the independent fact-checking and investigative platform Matsadaash have been detained by Egyptian authorities. The journalists, named Abdallah Qadri, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Mohamed Adel, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Omar Helal, were apprehended by plainclothes police officers at their homes and on the street.
While authorities claimed these individuals were working without a license and producing fake news on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, they faced terrorism charges following their detentions.
Allegations of Torture and Forced Confessions from Detained Journalists
In statements to their lawyers, the six journalists stated that they were tortured during their detention and forced by police to record false confession videos under custody. The police denied these allegations.
Lobna Darwish from the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights stated that the journalists were kept blindfolded and handcuffed for days, beaten, and subjected to electric shocks.
Official Authorities' Statements Against Torture Allegations
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the public prosecution reported that three journalists who alleged mistreatment underwent forensic medical examinations and that no injuries or signs of violence were found.
The interior ministry characterized the torture allegations as baseless, argued that the detainees were attempting to evade charges, and labeled the six individuals as elements of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Journalist Investigated Over Social Media Post
Another journalist, Rasha Azab, was interrogated by the Supreme State Security Prosecution due to a social media post criticizing the interior ministry.
Azab, who was released on bail, was accused of using a website to spread ideas praising terrorist crimes, while her lawyer Mahienour El-Masry stated that her client faced eleven complaints with identical content from different governorates.
Weekend Protests Planned in Cairo
Following these developments, Egyptian journalists have set out to plan a new protest action in Cairo this weekend.
Hadeer El-Mahdawy from the project committee stated that they were horrified by the situation allegedly faced by their colleagues and that they would use every means to protect the profession.