Egyptian authorities have arrested six members of the editorial team of the independent investigative platform Matsda2sh between Monday, September 28, and Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The arrests were made in different locations, with the first two journalists, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira and Abdallah Qadry, being taken into custody on Monday evening. The arrests were accompanied by searches of the journalists' homes, during which their personal phones and computers were confiscated.
The arrested journalists include Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Mohamed Adel, in addition to Abu Emeira and Qadry. According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is providing them with legal representation, the journalists were not allowed to contact their families or lawyers, and their place of detention was unknown in the immediate aftermath of their arrests. The EIPR and other human rights organizations have expressed concern about the arrests.
Matsda2sh is an Egyptian platform specializing in fact-checking and investigative journalism. The simultaneous arrest of its entire editorial team has been described as an unprecedented event by several press freedom organizations. The platform's name, which translates to "Don't believe" in Arabic, reflects its focus on scrutinizing information. The arrests have sparked widespread concern among journalists and human rights advocates.
Lobna Darwish, a spokesperson for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, noted that journalist arrests in Egypt typically target individuals, making the arrest of an entire team a worrying precedent. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and partner organizations have called on Egyptian authorities to release the six journalists. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also demanded their immediate release.
In the initial hours following the arrests, Egyptian authorities had not officially disclosed the reasons for the arrests or the charges against the journalists, according to the CPJ and EIPR. The lack of transparency surrounding the arrests has raised concerns about the targeting of journalists in Egypt. The country has a history of restricting press freedom, with many journalists facing arrest, detention, and prosecution.
The arrest of the Matsda2sh team has been widely condemned by human rights organizations and press freedom advocates. The EIPR and other groups have highlighted the importance of a free and independent press in Egypt, and have called on authorities to respect journalists' rights and freedoms. The international community has also been urged to pressure Egyptian authorities to release the arrested journalists.
The case of the Matsda2sh journalists has sparked concerns about the broader implications for press freedom in Egypt. The country's authorities have been accused of using national security laws to silence journalists and restrict the media. The arrest of the Matsda2sh team has been seen as a significant escalation of these efforts, and has raised concerns about the future of investigative journalism in Egypt.
Key points
- The Egyptian authorities arrested six journalists from the independent investigative platform Matsda2sh between September 28 and 29, 2026.
- The arrests were made without disclosed charges, and the journalists were initially denied access to their families and lawyers.
- The simultaneous arrest of the entire editorial team has been described as an unprecedented event by press freedom organizations.
