GENEVA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations human rights office voiced alarm on Tuesday about Egyptian authorities' widening assaults on press freedom and called for the immediate release of detained journalists.
Egyptian police arrested the entire newsroom of fact-checking outlet Matsaddash in September, accusing the six journalists of spreading misinformation for the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which the publication denied.
And last month, an Egyptian court convicted the editor-in-chief of leading independent news website Mada Masr of running it without a licence and ordered the site closed.
"These alarming developments must end immediately, and journalists must be able to carry out their essential work free from intimidation and reprisals," said Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk.
"Authorities must release all Matsaddash reporters and drop charges arising from their legitimate journalistic work," he added.
(Reporting by Emma FargeEditing by Ludwig Burger)