The Arab Foundation for Civil Society and Human Rights condemns the arrest of six journalists working with the “Mattsadaash” fact-checking platform: Mohamed Ashraf, Abdullah Qadri, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Adel, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Omar Helal.
The arrests began on the evening of Monday, September 28, with the detention of two journalists, followed by the arrest of four others the following day. The security measures were accompanied by raids on the homes of some of them and the seizure of personal mobile phones and computers. To date, no clear information has been made available regarding the reasons for their arrests, the investigating authorities handling their cases, or their places of detention.
The Arab Foundation stresses that the detention of journalists in connection with their journalistic work constitutes a serious violation of press freedom and freedom of opinion and expression, and directly undermines citizens’ right to access information from diverse and independent sources.
These measures stand in clear contradiction to repeated official statements regarding media freedom and the expansion of public space. Genuine media freedom cannot be discussed while journalists are detained for carrying out their professional duties, or while other journalists face prolonged pretrial detention and prosecution in cases related to what they have published or to their professional activities.
The Foundation emphasizes that respect for media freedom should not be measured by official statements alone, but by the ability of journalists and media outlets to operate independently and safely, publish information, and investigate matters of public concern without fear of arrest, prosecution, or imprisonment.
This incident is consistent with international indicators documenting the state of press and freedom of expression in Egypt.
According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Egypt ranked 169th out of 180 countries, with a score of 24.92 points. The organization also continues to document the detention of journalists in Egypt, reporting that 18 journalists are currently detained, according to its updated data.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has likewise documented the continued detention of journalists in Egypt. In September 2026, CPJ reported that 19 journalists were behind bars in Egypt, while its previous annual census documented the detention of 18 journalists in the country as of December 1, 2025.
The Foundation stresses that carrying out journalistic duties—including verifying information, scrutinizing public policies, conveying citizens’ views, and investigating the performance of state institutions—should never constitute grounds for deprivation of liberty.
The prolonged use of pretrial detention in cases related to publishing and freedom of expression also transforms a measure that is supposed to be exceptional into an actual punishment imposed before the issuance of final judicial judgments.
The Arab Foundation for Civil Society and Human Rights calls on the authorities to:
Immediately release the six journalists from the Mattsadaash platform, end the use of pretrial detention as a tool to punish journalists and individuals exercising their right to express their views, and review the cases of all detained journalists held in connection with their professional work or peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.
Release all journalists imprisoned for carrying out their professional duties or expressing their opinions, as well as all prisoners of conscience who have not been proven, through fair and independent trials, to have committed genuine criminal offenses.
Ensure full respect for the Constitution, the law, and international human rights instruments guaranteeing freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of the press, and the public’s right to access information.
