On November 10, 2023, the UN Human Rights Office expressed concern over the increasing attacks on press freedom by Egyptian authorities. This international body called for the immediate release of detained journalists and the cessation of these trends.
Increase in Journalists' Detentions
Recently, Egyptian authorities detained all members of the news team of a fact-checking media outlet called Matsaddash in September 2023. These six journalists were accused of spreading false information in favor of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a claim that the media outlet has strongly denied. This incident is seen as one of the worrying signs of the state of press freedom in Egypt.
Condemnation of the Editor of Mada Masr News Site
Additionally, last month, a court in Egypt convicted the chief editor of the independent news site Mada Masr for operating the media outlet without a license and ordered its closure. This ruling has sparked significant international criticism and heightened concerns about further restrictions on freedom of expression.
Ensuring press freedom is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy and human rights, and failure to uphold this principle can lead to serious consequences for civil society and citizens' rights. Authorities must pay attention to this issue and respect journalists' rights.
Ensuring security and freedom of action for journalists in Egypt, which is currently in a critical situation, is essential. Thamin Al-Khaytan, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that "these worrying developments must be stopped immediately," adding, "Journalists must be able to carry out their essential work without fear of threats and retaliation."
They also called for the release of all Matsaddash journalists and the dismissal of charges arising from legitimate journalistic work. This statement can be seen as a global call to support press freedom and human rights in Egypt.
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