Egyptian authorities have charged six journalists working for independent fact-checking platform Matsda2sh with alleged links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, days after security forces arrested the outlet’s entire newsroom, according to the BBC.The journalists were accused of joining a terrorist group, funding terrorism, publishing “fake news” and using social media to call for acts of terrorism, their lawyer Nabeh al-Ganadi said. Matsda2sh has denied the allegations.The six journalists – Abdullah Qadry, Mohammed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohammed Mahmoud and Mohammed Adel – were arrested during raids on their homes across Egypt on September 28 and 29, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).The EIPR said five of the journalists were remanded in custody for 15 days by the State Security Prosecution, while the sixth was still being interrogated.The arrests have drawn condemnation from international human rights and press freedom groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the detention of the entire Matsda2sh newsroom as a “grave escalation” in Egypt’s campaign against independent journalism.Matsda2sh, whose name means “Do Not Believe” in Arabic, was founded in 2018 and regularly fact-checks statements by Egyptian officials and carries out investigative reporting.Egypt’s interior ministry has accused the platform of seeking to destabilise the country through disinformation. It said Matsda2sh was unlicensed, operated from abroad and that its founder, Abdel Rahman Mansour, was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.Mansour has denied any connection with the group, saying the allegations “misrepresent who we are and the work we do”.The case took a more serious turn after the EIPR said the detained journalists had told prosecutors they were tortured at National Security Agency facilities following their arrests. The allegations included beatings, forced stripping, electric shocks and threats against them or their families.The interior ministry denied the allegations, with a ministry source calling them “unfounded” and saying they were aimed at evading the charges.Egypt has faced years of criticism over its treatment of journalists and political opponents. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has overseen a broad crackdown on dissent since the military ousted former president Mohamed Morsi, a senior Muslim Brotherhood figure, in 2013.The Muslim Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organisation by Egypt following Morsi’s ouster. Tens of thousands of people have since been detained, including Brotherhood members and supporters as well as activists, academics and media workers.The arrests come amid continued concerns over press freedom in Egypt. According to the CPJ, the country currently has 25 journalists imprisoned or detained.
