Sudanese journalist Ataf Mohamed Mokhtar, editor-in-chief of the independent Sudanese outlet Al-Sudani, was arrested at his home in Cairo on September 8, 2026, according to a Facebook post by Al-Sadiq Al-Rizaigi, head of the General Union of Sudanese Journalists, and several media outlets. Egyptian authorities made no official announcement regarding the legal basis for his detention or his whereabouts.
Al-Rizaigi said the arrest relates to Ataf's journalistic work and the views he has expressed on issues concerning Sudan and the war.
Ataf is a prominent Sudanese journalist with more than 125,000 followers on X. He regularly appears as a political commentator on several outlets, including the Saudi-owned Al Hadath channel.
One of his most recent posts on X commented on a UN experts report on Sudan that found links between the United Arab Emirates and the war, which the UAE has consistently denied. Several outlets reported that an official complaint by the UAE may be the reason behind his arrest, a claim CPJ could not independently verify.
Egyptian security forces have systematically used enforced disappearance — characterized as detention or abduction followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts — to target journalists, who are often mistreatedprior to being presented with charges.
CPJ emailed Egypt's Public Prosecutor's Office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.