Egypt extends remand for Matsadaash journalists following remote hearing
Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution on Tuesday renewed the detention of six journalists from the independent fact-checking platform Matsadaash for an additional 15 days pending investigation.
The journalists face charges of “joining and financing a terrorist group,” “disseminating false news,” and “using a social media account to promote it” under Case No. 8083 of 2026 (Supreme State Security).
Five of the journalists held in Badr 1 prison have demanded an increase in their outdoor exercise time and an extension of their scheduled visiting duration to one hour, on par with other detainees, a member of their defense team told Al Manassa.
The lawyer, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that the hearing took place via video link. Eman Ouf, a board member of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate who attended the proceedings, confirmed the setup to Al Manassa, emphasizing that prosecutors conducted the session remotely despite the physical presence of the journalists inside the prosecution building.
During the previous detention-renewal hearing, prosecutors failed to produce a single piece of evidence to substantiate the charges, which the journalists denied, according to an Oct. 14 statement by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).
The rights group highlighted that questioning focused primarily on the nature of their reporting, the journalistic outlets where they had previously worked, how they joined Matsadaash, and the editorial line they follow.
EIPR stressed that the ongoing detention of the six journalists—Mohamed Ashraf, Abdullah Qadri, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Adel, and Mohamed Mahmoud—violates Article 134 of the valid Criminal Procedure Code, which restricts pre-trial detention to specific criteria that do not apply to any of them.
None of the journalists were caught in the act, nor do they pose a flight risk given their established residences and families relying on their support, the rights group said. They are well-regarded professionals, and their situation presents no legal justification regarding potential harm to the inquiry or threat to public security and order.
The prosecution also disregarded a defense motion requesting the implementation of precautionary alternative measures stipulated in Article 201 of the law rather than remand detention, the organization added.
EIPR maintained that the six journalists engaged solely in constitutionally and legally protected press work without committing any punishable crime, recalling that the constitution forbids the infringement of citizens’ rights, including personal freedom and freedom of expression.
Security forces arrested the six journalists, who constitute the entire editorial team of the independent Matsadaash platform on Sept. 28 and 29. Authorities forcibly disappeared them for five days before presenting them to the Supreme State Security Prosecution, which ordered their pre-trial detention on charges of spreading false news and joining a terrorist organization.
The journalists alleged to their legal representation that they underwent torture shortly after, allegations which the Ministry of Interior later denied.
Statements of solidarity calling for the release of the six journalists have multiplied since Matsadaash announced their arrests.
Egypt ranks 169th out of 180 countries in the 2026 Press Freedom Index. In March 2024, the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate condemned the persistent blocking of news websites, including Al Manassa, which authorities have blocked 13 times—most recently in July 2022—even as access was restored to several platforms including Darb, Al-Sulta Al-Rabi’a, Zaat Masr, and Masr360.
In a related development on Tuesday, the 9th Circuit of the New Cairo Misdemeanor Court ruled during its first session to fine Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, three million Egyptian pounds, holding her in custody pending payment.
The court also ordered the closure of the website and the confiscation of its equipment and devices, imposing the maximum statutory penalty in Case No. 11743 of 2026, where Attalah stands accused of “establishing and managing a website without a license.”