Reporters plan a weekend protest in Cairo after six Matsadaash journalists were charged with terrorism offences amid torture allegations.
Press freedom across Africa is under the spotlight again, as Egyptian journalists prepare to march in Cairo this weekend demanding justice for six colleagues now facing terrorism charges. The detained reporters worked for Matsadaash, an independent fact-checking and investigative platform, and their supporters say they have been tortured in police custody.
The arrests came last week. Authorities said in a statement that the six were operating without a licence and producing false news on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Colleagues of the detained staff reject that framing and say the charges are being used to punish independent reporting.
More troubling are the allegations of abuse behind bars. Matsadaash staff claim the six were tortured and pressured into making forced confessions, serious accusations that raise urgent questions about due process and the treatment of detainees. We have not independently verified these claims, and the authorities' account of the case differs sharply.
The planned protest signals that Egypt's media community is not willing to stay quiet. For journalists and readers across the continent, the case is a reminder of what is at stake when fact-checkers and investigators are labelled a security threat. The question now is whether the pressure from the streets of Cairo will lead to answers, and to freedom for the six.
