Key facts
- Egyptian police arrested six journalists from the investigative outlet Matsaddash.
- The journalists are accused of spreading misinformation on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
- Matsaddash denied any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.
- Security personnel raided the journalists' homes and confiscated electronic devices.
- The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights is providing legal representation to the journalists.
Egyptian police arrested six journalists from the fact-checking and investigative media outlet Matsaddash, accusing them of spreading misinformation on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The publication denied the allegations.
According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is providing legal representation, plainclothes security personnel raided the journalists' homes on Monday evening and confiscated electronic devices. Matsaddash, a digital platform that has operated since 2018, comprises the entire newsroom of the outlet.
The interior ministry stated that the site was managed from abroad as part of the Muslim Brotherhood's media apparatus, with assistance from Brotherhood elements within Egypt. Matsaddash, however, denied any affiliation and pointed to its own reports correcting misinformation published by Brotherhood-affiliated media.
Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013. Journalists and activists in Egypt are frequently arrested on charges of spreading false news, and many independent outlets report operating under restrictive conditions. The Committee to Protect Journalists stated that 19 journalists are currently detained in Egypt.