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Egyptian authorities have arrested the entire newsroom of Matsaddash, a digital platform that has operated since 2018, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is providing legal representation.
The EIPR said plainclothes security personnel began raiding the journalists’ homes on Monday evening and confiscated electronic devices.
In a statement, the interior ministry accused the outlet of being managed from abroad as part of “the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood’s media apparatus,” with help from Brotherhood elements inside the country.
Matsaddash denied any affiliation with the Brotherhood, noting it had published corrections countering what it described as misinformation from Brotherhood-affiliated media outlets.
Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013, after the army overthrew President Mohamed Mursi. Journalists and activists are frequently arrested on charges of spreading false news, and independent outlets say they struggle under restrictive conditions.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 19 journalists are currently detained in Egypt. Egypt’s State Information Service, which liaises with foreign media, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
