Egyptian security forces detained the entire editorial team of Matsadaash, an independent online news outlet, on Thursday. The six journalists were accused of belonging to the outlawed Brotherhood and of producing fabricated stories for foreign funding.
Background on Matsadaash
Founded in 2018, Matsadaash—Arabic for “Don’t Believe”—began as a fact‑checking platform and later expanded into investigative reporting across Egypt and the wider Arab world. The site quickly earned a reputation for credible coverage of public‑interest issues, amassing over one million followers on Facebook despite its website being blocked within Egypt.
Arrests and accusations
According to the Interior Ministry, the six detained journalists were part of a “media committee” that allegedly prepared false news for a “fugitive Brotherhood member” identified as co‑founder Abdelrahman Mansour. The ministry said legal measures have been taken but did not specify charges. Only one of the six is a member of the Journalists’ Syndicate.
The first arrest occurred on Monday night at the home of Abdallah Qadry. The remaining five were taken over the next two days, including Mohamed Abu Emaira, whose home was reportedly ransacked, destroying his library and internet router. Other detainees—Omar Helal, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mohamed Adel—were seized in Port Said, Gharbia Governorate and Cairo. All had their cellphones and computers confiscated.
Response from the outlet and rights groups
“The claims are false,” said Mansour, one of Matsadaash’s founders. He noted that two editors previously arrested in 2023 were released after 36 hours when investigators found no Brotherhood affiliation. “It’s very difficult for us to understand why this is happening,” he added.
Over 80 international and regional rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, issued a joint petition demanding the journalists’ release. The petition highlighted Matsadaash’s long‑standing reputation for accurate reporting and condemned the arrests as an “escalating crackdown on independent media.”
Egypt’s broader press‑freedom record
Egypt ranks among the world’s worst jailers of journalists, according to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights reports that 26 journalists are currently imprisoned. Accusing critics of Brotherhood membership is a common tactic since the group was designated a terrorist organization in 2013 following the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi.
The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said the whereabouts of the six detained journalists remain unknown and that they have been denied contact with families or legal counsel. It marked this as the first time an entire newsroom has been arrested in the country.
International reaction
Foreign governments and press‑freedom advocates have called on Egypt to uphold its constitutional commitment to free expression. The arrests underscore ongoing tensions between the state’s security apparatus and independent media striving to inform the public.
As the situation develops, families, legal representatives and international observers continue to press for transparency and the immediate release of the detained journalists.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
