Freedom Index
![The six detained journalists
At 12 noon on Friday, Cairo time, Eman Ouf, the rapporteur of the Women’s Committee and the Freedoms Committee at the Egyptian Press Syndicate, was rushing to the public prosecutor’s office. Technically, it was her day off, but the public prosecutor was working as normal, and she – along with other members of the syndicate’s board – feared that the six detained journalists who make up the editorial team of the fact-checking newsroom Matsada2sh would be brought before prosecutors without warning.
“I’m too scared they’d be brought in alone,” Ouf told Index on Censorship. “We were here all day yesterday too, because, typically, statements from the [Ministry of] Interior would be followed by being brought to the public prosecutor.”
Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel were detained by Egyptian security forces, in a coordinated operation spanning several governorates, and in a period of less than 24 hours. Starting on Monday evening, security personnel raided homes, confiscated electronic devices – including devices belonging to family members – and did not show arrest or search warrants, nor did they tell the families where the journalists were being taken. Some were arrested on the streets of Cairo.
As of the time of writing, none of the six journalists have been brought before a judicial authority, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represents all six. Neither their families nor their lawyers have been allowed to contact them, and their whereabouts remain officially unknown.
The arrests brought the number of Egyptian journalists detained in connection with their work to 26, according to EIPR. They also represent something with no recent precedent: the simultaneous detention of an entire independent newsroom’s editorial staff. “Rather than targeting an individual journalist over a specific piece of reporting, the authorities aim to take an entire independent media platform offline by arresting its whole team,” Lobna Darwish, EIPR’s advocacy director, told Index on Censorship.
Journalists treated as national security issue
Matsada2sh – Arabic for “Don’t Believe It” – was founded in 2018 and has built a reputation for fact-checking government statements, scrutinising official claims, and producing open-source investigative reporting.
In a media landscape tightly controlled by the government and mocked by critics for delivering content largely dictated word-for-word by officials, the platform has faced pressure before. In 2023, journalist Karim Asaad was arrested after Matsada2sh published information about Egyptian nationals detained in Zambia alongside a plane carrying cash and weapons. He was released after one day following pressure from the Press Syndicate.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior subsequently issued a statement on Thursday accusing Matsada2sh of being “part of the media committees of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group,” operating from abroad, spreading “false and fabricated news,” and receiving foreign funding.
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused, according to Darwish. “The apparent use of the counterterrorism framework against the six journalists raises serious concerns about the state’s approach to media freedom,” she told Index on Censorship. “It also raises concerns that invoking terrorism allegations may be used to undermine the journalists’ basic due process rights and the constitutional guarantees protecting against imprisonment for offences committed through publication or other forms of expression.”
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused
“Unfortunately, this is not new,” she said, adding that the state invokes counterterrorism charges in most cases of arrests based on speech as well as publication of false news, to undermine due process rights and constitutional guarantees. She concluded: “More broadly, the statement treats journalistic activity as a national security issue.”
Alarming precedent and unclear red lines
In its statement, the ministry also noted that five of the six detained journalists are not registered members of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, an observation which CPJ’s Qudah said could not be used to justify their detention.
“The fact that some of the detained journalists are not members of the Journalists’ Syndicate does not justify their detention or invalidate their work as journalists,” Sara Qudah told Index on Censorship. “Any genuine licensing or registration issue should be addressed through transparent administrative or judicial procedures, not through arrests or prolonged detention.”
Qudah noted that one of the detained journalists is a Syndicate member, yet was detained regardless. “This should not be viewed simply as a dispute over professional registration,” she said.
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt. Egypt is holding the highest number of journalists behind bars since record-keeping began. In 2024, Egypt ranked 170th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders.
“The ‘red lines’ for independent journalism and public criticism in Egypt have become increasingly unclear and constantly shifting,” Darwish said. “Journalists often have no way of knowing what particular piece of reporting might provoke a security response.”
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt
Qudah echoed the concern about wider effects. “The fact that an entire newsroom has been detained is particularly alarming,” she said. “It risks sending a message to other journalists that investigative reporting, fact-checking government statements, or scrutinising officials can expose them to serious repercussions. That can contribute to greater self-censorship across the media sector.”
In recent years, Egyptian President Abdelfattah El-Sisi has repeatedly warned journalists from coverage which the state deems disruptive and dishonest, calling on newsrooms to only report what the government confirms.
Back at the public prosecutor’s office, Ouf waited. The syndicate’s position was clear: whatever the charges, journalists should not face prosecutors alone.
“If Egyptian authorities believe that Matsada2sh or individual journalists have violated licensing requirements or committed an actual crime,” Qudah said, “they should present the evidence and allow the allegations to be tested through due process. Journalism itself should not be treated as a security offence.”
*Journalist used a pseudonym for security concerns.
READ MORE](https://fsnn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Global-Call-for-the-Release-of-Entire-Newsroom-at-Egyptian-Investigative-Journalism-Platform-Matsada.jpeg "The six detained journalists
At 12 noon on Friday, Cairo time, Eman Ouf, the rapporteur of the Women’s Committee and the Freedoms Committee at the Egyptian Press Syndicate, was rushing to the public prosecutor’s office. Technically, it was her day off, but the public prosecutor was working as normal, and she – along with other members of the syndicate’s board – feared that the six detained journalists who make up the editorial team of the fact-checking newsroom Matsada2sh would be brought before prosecutors without warning.
“I’m too scared they’d be brought in alone,” Ouf told Index on Censorship. “We were here all day yesterday too, because, typically, statements from the [Ministry of] Interior would be followed by being brought to the public prosecutor.”
Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel were detained by Egyptian security forces, in a coordinated operation spanning several governorates, and in a period of less than 24 hours. Starting on Monday evening, security personnel raided homes, confiscated electronic devices – including devices belonging to family members – and did not show arrest or search warrants, nor did they tell the families where the journalists were being taken. Some were arrested on the streets of Cairo.
As of the time of writing, none of the six journalists have been brought before a judicial authority, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represents all six. Neither their families nor their lawyers have been allowed to contact them, and their whereabouts remain officially unknown.
The arrests brought the number of Egyptian journalists detained in connection with their work to 26, according to EIPR. They also represent something with no recent precedent: the simultaneous detention of an entire independent newsroom’s editorial staff. “Rather than targeting an individual journalist over a specific piece of reporting, the authorities aim to take an entire independent media platform offline by arresting its whole team,” Lobna Darwish, EIPR’s advocacy director, told Index on Censorship.
Journalists treated as national security issue
Matsada2sh – Arabic for “Don’t Believe It” – was founded in 2018 and has built a reputation for fact-checking government statements, scrutinising official claims, and producing open-source investigative reporting.
In a media landscape tightly controlled by the government and mocked by critics for delivering content largely dictated word-for-word by officials, the platform has faced pressure before. In 2023, journalist Karim Asaad was arrested after Matsada2sh published information about Egyptian nationals detained in Zambia alongside a plane carrying cash and weapons. He was released after one day following pressure from the Press Syndicate.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior subsequently issued a statement on Thursday accusing Matsada2sh of being “part of the media committees of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group,” operating from abroad, spreading “false and fabricated news,” and receiving foreign funding.
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused, according to Darwish. “The apparent use of the counterterrorism framework against the six journalists raises serious concerns about the state’s approach to media freedom,” she told Index on Censorship. “It also raises concerns that invoking terrorism allegations may be used to undermine the journalists’ basic due process rights and the constitutional guarantees protecting against imprisonment for offences committed through publication or other forms of expression.”
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused
“Unfortunately, this is not new,” she said, adding that the state invokes counterterrorism charges in most cases of arrests based on speech as well as publication of false news, to undermine due process rights and constitutional guarantees. She concluded: “More broadly, the statement treats journalistic activity as a national security issue.”
Alarming precedent and unclear red lines
In its statement, the ministry also noted that five of the six detained journalists are not registered members of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, an observation which CPJ’s Qudah said could not be used to justify their detention.
“The fact that some of the detained journalists are not members of the Journalists’ Syndicate does not justify their detention or invalidate their work as journalists,” Sara Qudah told Index on Censorship. “Any genuine licensing or registration issue should be addressed through transparent administrative or judicial procedures, not through arrests or prolonged detention.”
Qudah noted that one of the detained journalists is a Syndicate member, yet was detained regardless. “This should not be viewed simply as a dispute over professional registration,” she said.
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt. Egypt is holding the highest number of journalists behind bars since record-keeping began. In 2024, Egypt ranked 170th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders.
“The ‘red lines’ for independent journalism and public criticism in Egypt have become increasingly unclear and constantly shifting,” Darwish said. “Journalists often have no way of knowing what particular piece of reporting might provoke a security response.”
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt
Qudah echoed the concern about wider effects. “The fact that an entire newsroom has been detained is particularly alarming,” she said. “It risks sending a message to other journalists that investigative reporting, fact-checking government statements, or scrutinising officials can expose them to serious repercussions. That can contribute to greater self-censorship across the media sector.”
In recent years, Egyptian President Abdelfattah El-Sisi has repeatedly warned journalists from coverage which the state deems disruptive and dishonest, calling on newsrooms to only report what the government confirms.
Back at the public prosecutor’s office, Ouf waited. The syndicate’s position was clear: whatever the charges, journalists should not face prosecutors alone.
“If Egyptian authorities believe that Matsada2sh or individual journalists have violated licensing requirements or committed an actual crime,” Qudah said, “they should present the evidence and allow the allegations to be tested through due process. Journalism itself should not be treated as a security offence.”
*Journalist used a pseudonym for security concerns.
READ MORE")
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At 12 noon on Friday, Cairo time, Eman Ouf, the rapporteur of the Women’s Committee and the Freedoms Committee at the Egyptian Press Syndicate, was rushing to the public prosecutor’s office. Technically, it was her day off, but the public prosecutor was working as normal, and she – along with other members of the syndicate’s board – feared that the six detained journalists who make up the editorial team of the fact-checking newsroom Matsada2sh would be brought before prosecutors without warning.
“I’m too scared they’d be brought in alone,” Ouf told Index on Censorship. “We were here all day yesterday too, because, typically, statements from the [Ministry of] Interior would be followed by being brought to the public prosecutor.”
Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel were detained by Egyptian security forces, in a coordinated operation spanning several governorates, and in a period of less than 24 hours. Starting on Monday evening, security personnel raided homes, confiscated electronic devices – including devices belonging to family members – and did not show arrest or search warrants, nor did they tell the families where the journalists were being taken. Some were arrested on the streets of Cairo.
As of the time of writing, none of the six journalists have been brought before a judicial authority, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represents all six. Neither their families nor their lawyers have been allowed to contact them, and their whereabouts remain officially unknown.
The arrests brought the number of Egyptian journalists detained in connection with their work to 26, according to EIPR. They also represent something with no recent precedent: the simultaneous detention of an entire independent newsroom’s editorial staff. “Rather than targeting an individual journalist over a specific piece of reporting, the authorities aim to take an entire independent media platform offline by arresting its whole team,” Lobna Darwish, EIPR’s advocacy director, told Index on Censorship.
Journalists treated as national security issue
Matsada2sh – Arabic for “Don’t Believe It” – was founded in 2018 and has built a reputation for fact-checking government statements, scrutinising official claims, and producing open-source investigative reporting.
In a media landscape tightly controlled by the government and mocked by critics for delivering content largely dictated word-for-word by officials, the platform has faced pressure before. In 2023, journalist Karim Asaad was arrested after Matsada2sh published information about Egyptian nationals detained in Zambia alongside a plane carrying cash and weapons. He was released after one day following pressure from the Press Syndicate.
The Egyptian Ministry of Interior subsequently issued a statement on Thursday accusing Matsada2sh of being “part of the media committees of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group,” operating from abroad, spreading “false and fabricated news,” and receiving foreign funding.
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused, according to Darwish. “The apparent use of the counterterrorism framework against the six journalists raises serious concerns about the state’s approach to media freedom,” she told Index on Censorship. “It also raises concerns that invoking terrorism allegations may be used to undermine the journalists’ basic due process rights and the constitutional guarantees protecting against imprisonment for offences committed through publication or other forms of expression.”
The invocation of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt designated a terrorist organisation in 2013, carries significant legal consequences for the accused
“Unfortunately, this is not new,” she said, adding that the state invokes counterterrorism charges in most cases of arrests based on speech as well as publication of false news, to undermine due process rights and constitutional guarantees. She concluded: “More broadly, the statement treats journalistic activity as a national security issue.”
Alarming precedent and unclear red lines
In its statement, the ministry also noted that five of the six detained journalists are not registered members of the Egyptian Press Syndicate, an observation which CPJ’s Qudah said could not be used to justify their detention.
“The fact that some of the detained journalists are not members of the Journalists’ Syndicate does not justify their detention or invalidate their work as journalists,” Sara Qudah told Index on Censorship. “Any genuine licensing or registration issue should be addressed through transparent administrative or judicial procedures, not through arrests or prolonged detention.”
Qudah noted that one of the detained journalists is a Syndicate member, yet was detained regardless. “This should not be viewed simply as a dispute over professional registration,” she said.
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt. Egypt is holding the highest number of journalists behind bars since record-keeping began. In 2024, Egypt ranked 170th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders.
“The ‘red lines’ for independent journalism and public criticism in Egypt have become increasingly unclear and constantly shifting,” Darwish said. “Journalists often have no way of knowing what particular piece of reporting might provoke a security response.”
The arrests follow a well-documented pattern of press suppression in Egypt
Qudah echoed the concern about wider effects. “The fact that an entire newsroom has been detained is particularly alarming,” she said. “It risks sending a message to other journalists that investigative reporting, fact-checking government statements, or scrutinising officials can expose them to serious repercussions. That can contribute to greater self-censorship across the media sector.”
In recent years, Egyptian President Abdelfattah El-Sisi has repeatedly warned journalists from coverage which the state deems disruptive and dishonest, calling on newsrooms to only report what the government confirms.
Back at the public prosecutor’s office, Ouf waited. The syndicate’s position was clear: whatever the charges, journalists should not face prosecutors alone.
“If Egyptian authorities believe that Matsada2sh or individual journalists have violated licensing requirements or committed an actual crime,” Qudah said, “they should present the evidence and allow the allegations to be tested through due process. Journalism itself should not be treated as a security offence.”
*Journalist used a pseudonym for security concerns.
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