Egyptian authorities have jailed veteran journalist Safaa Elkourbegy for the second time, accusing her of terrorism over a Facebook post criticizing forced evictions in Matrouh, a move press freedom advocates call a blatant attack on free expression.
The Supreme State Security Prosecution on Monday ordered Elkourbegy, formerly managing editor at the state owned Radio and Television Magazine, to remain in custody for 15 days pending investigation.
She faces four charges: joining a banned organization, spreading false news, financing terrorism, and misusing social media, according to her lawyer, Khaled Ali.
Ali said that prosecutors confronted Elkourbegy with a single post from December 2024, in which she denounced what she described as the forcible removal of chalet owners from the Agiba beach area in the north coastal city of Matrouh. This is her second arrest in just over three years.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate demanded Elkourbegy’s immediate release and urged officials to consider her health and “humanitarian circumstances.” The statement emphasized that “journalism is not a crime” and condemned the continued prosecution of journalists for expressing opinions or sharing information.
Elkourbegy was first arrested in April 2022, when she was held for nearly 22 months after livestreaming videos from inside Maspero, the headquarters of the National Media Authority. She had been protesting her dismissal during a medical leave. Authorities charged her with promoting a banned organization and publishing false information. She was released in February 2024.
A review of her Facebook page shows that on Dec. 24, 2024, Elkourbegy shared three posts related to the Agiba chalet evictions. One was a reshare of another user’s post accusing the UAE of acquiring the land without compensation.
Another was a video report by the opposition outlet Rassd. The third was an infographic from the Facebook page Al-Mawqif Al-Masry, claiming authorities had displaced residents and were “gifting Egypt to Emiratis and foreigners.”
Rights lawyer Nabeh Elganadi said Tuesday that Elkourbegy, now in her 60s, suffers from post-polio syndrome affecting her right leg, and has severe inflammation in her left knee. “Her health deteriorated sharply during her previous detention,” he wrote. “We hope for her immediate release.”
She is now assigned to the case No. 7256 of 2025—State Security prosecutors. Both Elganadi and a syndicate lawyer attended her interrogation.
Elkourbegy’s earlier detention stemmed from her outspoken criticism of the National Media Authority following her firing. Her Facebook live broadcasts from Maspero captured staff protests against the authority’s leadership.
Her renewed detention has triggered alarm among Egyptian journalists and rights groups, who warn of escalating repression in the lead-up to next year’s parliamentary elections.
