Law and Democracy Support Foundation renews its call for their immediate release and for an independent investigation into allegations of torture and ill-treatment
The Supreme State Security Prosecution today renewed the detention of the six journalists of the “Matsada2sh” platform in connection with Case No. 8083 of 2026 (Supreme State Security investigations). They are accused of joining and financing a terrorist group and using a website to promote its ideas. They were not confronted with any evidence other than a National Security Agency investigation report. The session was held via video conference.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern today over what it described as an escalation in attacks by the Egyptian authorities on press freedom, and called for the immediate release of detained journalists.
On November 5, 13 UN experts and special rapporteurs had called in a statement on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release the editorial team of “Matsada2sh.” They described the measures against the journalists as a “new setback” for civic space, and noted that the journalists are being repressed and intimidated because of their legitimate professional work.
The experts warned that using vague and overly broad counter-terrorism provisions to prosecute journalists contradicts international human rights law and has a chilling effect on freedom of opinion and expression. They pointed out that terrorism charges, which can carry the death penalty, do not meet the threshold of “the most serious crimes,” and they raised the risk of enforced disappearance for the victims and their families.
They described the reported torture and ill-treatment of the journalists as a “stark example” of the crackdown on independent voices, and called on the government to guarantee due process for all detained journalists.
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