Egypt Detains Entire Editorial Team of Independent News Outlet, Citing Muslim Brotherhood Ties

Egyptian authorities have arrested the entire editorial team of Matsadaash, an independent online news outlet, accusing six journalists of membership in the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and producing fabricated news in exchange for foreign funding. The arrests, which began Monday, have drawn condemnation from international rights groups and media organizations.

Matsadaash, which means "Don't Believe" in Arabic, was founded eight years ago as a fact-checking platform and has since expanded into investigative reporting across Egypt and other Arab countries. It is one of the few independent media outlets operating in Egypt, a country described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as among the world's worst jailers of journalists. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights states that 26 journalists are currently imprisoned in Egypt.

The outlet's website is blocked within Egypt, but its Facebook page reportedly has over one million followers. In a statement on Thursday, Egypt's Interior Ministry described Matsadaash as an unlicensed page managed from abroad by a "fugitive Brotherhood member." The ministry also stated that the detained journalists were part of a Brotherhood "media committee" responsible for preparing false news.

Abdelrahman Mansour, a founder of Matsadaash, has denied the accusations, stating that authorities found no affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood when two of its editors were arrested in 2023. Those editors were released without charge after 36 hours. "It's very difficult for us to understand why this is happening," Mansour said.

Over 80 international and regional rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, have called for the journalists' release, condemning the crackdown on independent media. They noted that Matsadaash has a reputation for credible reporting on public interest issues.

The first arrest occurred Monday evening, with the remaining five staff members apprehended on Tuesday. According to Mansour, one journalist's home was reportedly damaged during his arrest, with his library and internet router destroyed. All six journalists reportedly had their cellphones and computers confiscated. Their whereabouts remain unknown, and they have not been allowed to contact their families or legal teams, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, which called the detentions the first instance of an entire newsroom being arrested in Egypt.