Egypt Arrests Entire Team Of Independent Fact-Checking Platform

Egyptian authorities have arrested all six journalists working for the independent fact-checking platform Matsadaash, accusing the outlet of spreading misinformation and having links to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Matsadaash denies the allegations, while rights and press-freedom organisations have raised concerns over the detention of the entire newsroom and the journalists’ continued lack of access to their families and lawyers.

Egyptian authorities have arrested all six journalists working for the independent fact-checking and investigative platform Matsadaash, accusing the outlet of operating without a licence and being linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
The arrests, which took place between Monday and Tuesday, brought the entire Matsadaash newsroom into detention. Rights groups say the journalists’ whereabouts remained unknown and that they had not been allowed to contact their families or legal representatives.
The Interior Ministry announced the arrests on Thursday, saying the platform was being operated from abroad and was involved in spreading what it described as false information and distorted reports.

INTERIOR MINISTRY ACCUSES PLATFORM OF MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD LINKS

Egypt’s Interior Ministry said it had identified an “unlicensed online page” called Matsadaash, which it alleged was managed from outside the country.
The ministry further accused the platform of being part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s media structures and said those involved had prepared fabricated reports for publication.
The authorities did not publicly provide evidence supporting the allegation that the journalists were members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

MATsADAASH DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS

Matsadaash has rejected the accusations and denied having links to any political party or organisation.
The platform said its work has focused on fact-checking and correcting misleading information regardless of where it originates.
It has operated since 2018 and has regularly examined claims made by Egyptian officials, government agencies and other political actors.
The platform has also published reports challenging claims associated with both government supporters and pro-Muslim Brotherhood actors.

ENTIRE NEWSROOM NOW IN DETENTION

The six detained journalists are Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel.
Security forces reportedly carried out raids and arrests at different locations, including the journalists’ homes in Cairo and other Egyptian governorates.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said all six were being represented by its lawyers but that their locations remained unknown.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also reported that authorities confiscated mobile phones and laptops during the arrests.

RIGHTS GROUPS RAISE PRESS FREEDOM CONCERNS

The arrests have prompted criticism from rights and press-freedom organisations.
Lobna Darwish of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights described the situation facing journalists in Egypt as increasingly unsafe, while Mahmoud Kamel of the Press Syndicate said the arrests occurred in what he described as an environment that restricts freedoms.
Rights organisations have called for the journalists to be released and have raised concerns about the detention of an entire newsroom.

MATSADAASH HAS LONG FOCUSED ON FACT-CHECKING

Matsadaash began as a fact-checking platform in 2018 and later expanded into investigative journalism.
Its work has included checking statements by government officials and examining claims circulating online.
Recent reporting included a fact-check of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty’s statements concerning the number of refugees in Egypt, as well as reporting on alleged favouritism in public prosecution appointments.

JOURNALISTS FACE BROADER PRESSURE

The arrests come against a wider backdrop of restrictions on independent journalism in Egypt.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said the number of journalists detained in connection with their work had reached 26, while the Committee to Protect Journalists separately reported that 19 journalists were currently detained. The different figures reflect differences in how organisations define and count detained journalists.
Egyptian authorities frequently accuse journalists and activists of spreading false news or belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood, while rights organisations argue that such accusations can be used against independent reporting and political criticism.
The six Matsadaash journalists have not, according to the latest available reports, been publicly presented before prosecutors or formally charged.