Investigative Journalism is Not a Crime, Refugee Rights Organizations in the Region Stand in Solidarity with the “Matsda2sh” Platform Team

العربية

The undersigned organizations and media platforms, which work to support and protect forcibly displaced people’s rights, declare their full solidarity with the six imprisoned journalists from the “Matsda2sh” platform. They were detained by Egyptian authorities for nearly a week at undisclosed locations, then brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, where most revealed that they had been subjected to torture. The organizations demand their immediate release and an independent investigation into their allegations of torture.

What We Know So Far About the “Matsda2sh” Team

According to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), “matsda2sh”’s entire editorial team was arrested between September 28th and 30th, 2026. It began with Editor-in-Chief Mohamed Ashraf Abu Amira, followed by Abdullah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Hilal, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Mohamed Adel. Throughout this period, they were not allowed to contact lawyers or their families, nor were they presented with any official arrest warrants.

On October 1st, the Interior Ministry issued a statement describing the platform as an unlicensed page operated from abroad that spreads false information, and linked it to the Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘media committees’ without providing any evidence. On the evening of Saturday, October 3rd, the Supreme State Security Prosecution began questioning Mohamed Ashraf Abu Amira. The investigation continued until the morning of Sunday, October 4th, and concluded with a decision to detain Mohamed for 15 days pending further investigation. On October 5th, Mohamed’s five colleagues appeared before the same prosecution office in Case No. 8083 of 2026 (Supreme State Security), and their interrogation lasted more than ten hours. According to Iman Auf, a member of the Journalists’ Syndicate Council, the charges include joining and financing a terrorist group and using a website to promote the group’s ideas.

According to the defense attorney, the journalists told the prosecution that they were detained at National Security headquarters while blindfolded and with their hands tied behind their backs. Most of the journalists said they were beaten, stripped of their clothes, and subjected to electric shocks; they were also threatened with harm to themselves and their families, and forced to read pre-written ‘confessions’ on camera. The defense requested an investigation into these incidents, that the journalists be examined by a medical examiner, that any statements extracted from the journalists be disregarded, and that the National Security officers responsible for any mistreatment be summoned for questioning.

Why does the work of “matsda2sh” benefit forcibly displaced communities?

“Matsda2sh” is an independent Egyptian journalism platform that has been in operation since 2018. The platform verifies statements and figures released by media officials or circulated on social media, cross-checking them against official data and reliable sources. It then publishes the results along with evidence that allows readers to judge for themselves the accuracy of the claims.

This role takes on particular importance with regard to forcibly displaced people in Egypt. For years, inaccurate and exaggerated figures regarding the number of forcibly displaced people and foreign residents have circulated, along with narratives claiming that forcibly displaced people are a burden on public services, a cause of economic crises, or a threat to security and society. As these narratives are repeated in official statements, media programs, and influential online platforms, they foster a climate of stigmatization, incitement, and hatred.

“Matsda2sh” countered this rhetoric with evidence-based reporting, regardless of its source. For example, the platform examined Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly’s statement that Egypt hosts more than 9 million refugees, as well as statements made by Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty, posing the fundamental question: Are forcibly displaced people ‘refugees’ or ‘migrants’? The platform also examined former Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s statement regarding the number of forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens in Egypt. The question raised by “matsda2sh” remains important: Do these figures refer to recognized forcibly displaced people, foreign residents, or a combination of both groups? The distinction between forcibly displaced people as refugees, migrants, or asylum seekers is not merely a linguistic or administrative technicality; rather, it is an issue that has a direct impact on individuals’ rights, on the understanding of their legal status, and on the public discourse and policies that affect their lives.

Portraying the millions of residents, workers, and investors in Egypt as ‘refugees’ living off state resources creates a misleading perception among the public. Ultimately, forcibly displaced people pay the price through collective stigmatization, restricted access to housing, employment, education, and health care, as well as fear of persecution, detention, or deportation.

The “matsda2sh” platform also examined the figures and claims circulating in traditional broadcast media and on social media. It examined the claim that the number of Arabs residing in Egypt had reached 16.5 million, as well as reports circulating about ‘demonstrations by forcibly displaced Syrian citizens’ in October 6th City. These are the types of rumors circulated and used to portray forcibly displaced people as a security or social threat.

The platform also debunked one of the most widespread rumors: that forcibly displaced people receive free social services at the expense of citizens. In an investigative piece titled ‘Nothing Is Free: Fees in Dollars and Backing from Sisi: How Much Do Forcibly Displaced Students Pay to Study in Egypt?’, “matsda2sh” revealed what forcibly displaced people pay for education in Egypt.

Moreover, “matsda2sh” did not limit itself to correcting these figures; the platform also documented the human impact of structural policies based on this rhetoric and published testimonies from forcibly displaced Sudanese citizens who were forcibly deported from Egypt after seeking refuge there to escape the proxy war.

When Misinformation Becomes a Violation

We, the following organizations and platforms working with forcibly displaced people, witness and document on a daily basis how misinformation does not stop at anecdotal rhetoric or media discourse, but rather translates into direct harm that affects individuals’ lives, rights, and dignity. Inaccurate information, when disseminated by large enough platforms or repeated without reference, can become the prevailing narrative; and furthermore, when that narrative is built on stigma and fear, these narratives can lead to discriminatory practices, exclusionary policies, and tangible violations.

Portraying forcibly displaced people as a burden on society, as rivals for rights and services, or as a source of security and social threats does more than simply distort their legal and humanitarian reality. This portrayal also creates an environment that permits hate speech and incitement in reality as well as on digital platforms; increases vulnerable people’s risk of exploitation with respect to housing and employment; justifies denying or restricting their access to education, healthcare, as well as basic services; and deepens their fear of security crackdowns, detention, and deportation.

As a result, independent journalism platforms become one of the safeguards of public protection. They not only serve an informational function but also help preserve the right to know and limit the spread of false narratives that strip vulnerable groups of their humanity and rights. Verifying figures, debunking rumors, scrutinizing official and unofficial media statements, as well as situating these statements in legal and factual contexts are all essential steps to grounding public discourse in material reality, rather than allowing the discourse to fall prey to fear, generalizations, and incitement.

Therefore, the targeting of the “matsda2sh” platform does not affect its journalists alone, nor should it be viewed as an isolated incident concerning a specific media organization. The targeting affects the rights of Egyptian and non-Egyptian forcibly displaced people, whether residents or merely passing through Egypt, by reducing their capacity by way of misleading statistics and inflammatory narratives. Furthermore, this targeting affects Egypt’s cosmopolitan society’s right to access accurate information; and affects the ability of journalists, researchers, and human rights defenders to work without fear of punishment, stigmatization, or persecution.

The targeting of “matsda2sh” staff also sends a threatening message to anyone who documents, investigates, or questions public discourse regarding forcibly displaced people: that addressing their material conditions, or correcting misinformation regarding their material conditions, can come at a heavy price to livelihood and wellbeing. This threatening message leads to self-censorship as well as silence, and creates an information vacuum that benefits rumors, hate speech, and anyone who profits from scapegoating forcibly displaced people during economic, social, and political crises.

The arrest of an entire editorial team for its investigative journalistic work poses a grave danger to press freedom, the right to freedom of expression, the free flow of information, and public accountability. The circumstances become even more dire when journalists working to expose false news and misinformation are prosecuted on charges that their work is intended to debunk. Tools designed to combat misinformation must not be turned into a means of silencing those who expose it, nor should charges of terrorism and ‘spreading false news’ be used to criminalize independent journalism.

Forced Dissapearance,incommunicado detention, and Testimonies of Torture:

The detention of the six journalists for nearly a week in undisclosed locations, without notifying their families or allowing them to communicate immediately and confidentially with lawyers, raises worrying concerns about their safety, the guarantees of their civil liberty, and their right to a defense. This detention in isolation from the outside world amounts to enforced disappearance and contravenes the safeguards enshrined in the Egyptian Constitution and international human rights law.

Furthermore, the journalists’ statements to the prosecution, in which they reported being beaten, subjected to electric shocks, stripped of their clothes, threatened with harm to themselves and their families, and forced to record or read pre-written ‘confessions’, require an urgent, independent, impartial, and effective investigation. These statements must not be treated as marginal allegations or procedural matters, but rather as disturbing indications of violations of the right to physical integrity, human dignity, and a fair trial.

Article 52 of the Egyptian Constitution stipulates that torture in all its forms and manifestations is a crime not subject to a statute of limitations. Moreover, any statements or confessions extracted under torture, coercion, or during unlawful detention cannot constitute a legitimate basis for fair judicial proceedings, and must not be relied upon to justify continued detention or conviction.

The principles of justice and the rule of law therefore require that the journalists be immediately referred to forensic medical examination; that they be provided with independent medical and psychological care as needed; that a serious investigation be launched into all the incidents they have reported; and that they be guaranteed protection from any pressure, threats, or retaliation for reporting these violations.

The undersigned organizations and platforms call on the Egyptian authorities to do the following:

Immediately and unconditionally release the six journalists from the “matsda2sh” platform, and drop all charges against them related to their journalism in the public interest.
Ensure that the journalists are immediately and without restriction allowed to communicate confidentially and regularly with their lawyers and families, and ensure they receive appropriate healthcare.
Conduct an urgent, independent, transparent, and effective investigation into the journalists’ allegations of torture, mistreatment, and detention in undisclosed locations; refer them to forensic medical examination without delay; and hold accountable all officials found responsible for any violations.
Exclude any statements or “confessions” suspected of having been extracted under torture, coercion, or during unlawful detention, and ensure that they are not circulated, broadcast, or used in any judicial proceedings.
Cease pursuing the journalists’ charges of terrorism, ‘spreading false news’, and monitoring websites and online platforms for the purposes of targeting, persecuting, as well as prosecuting journalists, researchers, and human rights defenders.
media and broadcasting institutions must commit to accuracy and transparency when addressing issues of asylum and migration, refrain from circulating misleading or undocumented figures, and publish clear data that distinguishes between forcibly displaced people and foreign residents.
Take concrete and effective measures to combat hate speech, incitement, and discrimination against forcibly displaced people, including by countering misinformation that perpetuates collective stigmatization, rather than targeting, persecuting, and prosecuting the platforms and journalists who expose misinformation with evidence.
Respect and protect freedom of the press and expression, as well as the right to information, and ensure that all measures taken are consistent with the Egyptian Constitution and Egypt’s international human rights obligations.

Investigative Journalism is not a crime.

Journalism is not terrorism.

And forcibly displaced people are not scapegoats for economic or political crises.

Signatory Organizations: