CAIRO: Egypt on Tuesday denied claims that detained journalists from an independent fact-checking platform were tortured or mistreated, calling the allegations “baseless”, in a case that has raised fresh concerns over press freedom in the country.
On Monday, lawyers for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represents the six journalists arrested last week, said they reported “various forms of torture and mistreatment” while in detention. The journalists make up the entire newsroom of Matsadaash, an independent fact-checking platform that has operated since 2018 and frequently investigates statements by officials and state bodies.
Authorities accused the outlet of operating without a licence and having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt banned in 2013 after the ouster of late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said the platform was “part of the media committees of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group” and was run by founder Abdelrahman Mansour, whom it described as a fugitive abroad.
The ministry alleged that Mansour, assisted by individuals inside Egypt, used the platform to spread “false and fabricated news” in exchange for funding from abroad. Mansour rejected the accusations.
Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026
