Egypt Archives - Committee to Protect Journalists

A June 5, 2019, photo shows a "media interview area" for reporters set up near the Idkah mosque on the morning of Eid al-Fitr, when Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan, in Kashgar, in China's northwestern Xinjiang region. China was the world’s leading jailer of journalists in 2019, with at least 48 in prison. (AFP/Greg Baker)

China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt are world’s worst jailers of journalists

December 11, 2019 12:00 AM EST

For the fourth consecutive year, at least 250 journalists are imprisoned globally as authoritarians like Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Mohammed bin Salman, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi show no signs of letting up on the critical media. A CPJ special report by Elana Beiser

Police officers are seen in Alexandria, Egypt, on November 20, 2019. Police recently arrested journalists Solafa Sallam, Hossam El-Sayyad, and Mohamed Salah in Giza. (AFP/Mohamed El-Shahed)

Three more journalists arrested by Egyptian security forces

November 27, 2019 12:10 PM EST

New York, November 27, 2019 — Egyptian authorities should immediately release journalists Solafa Sallam, Hossam El-Sayyad, and Mohamed Salah, drop any charges against them, and stop imprisoning and harassing the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A view of Giza Pyramids, taken from Cairo Tower on October 23, 2019. Security officers raided the Cairo offices of Mada Masr on November 24 and detained three staff. (AFP/Mohamed el-Shahed)

Egypt raids critical news outlet, detains staff

November 24, 2019 10:51 AM EST

November 24, 2019—The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned today’s raid on the office of independent Egyptian news website Mada Masr by Egyptian authorities, which included the arrests of three staffers. CPJ called on the government of Egypt to end its campaign of intimidation against the outlet and to release all Mada staff.

The Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, second right, known as Shawkan, poses for a selfie at his home in Cairo on March 4, 2019. As part of the restrictive terms of his release from prison, the journalist has to spend each night at a police station. (AFP/Khaled Desouki)

Restrictive terms of Shawkan’s release from Egyptian jail highlighted to UN

October 25, 2019 1:14 PM EDT

On October 10, Mahmoud Abu Zeid turned 33. It was the Egyptian photojournalist’s first birthday out of prison since his August 2013 arrest. But in spite of his celebrated freedom in March, the police monitoring conditions of his probation have, in effect, rendered his release obsolete.

A police van is seen in Alexandria, Egypt, on September 27, 2019. Security forces recently arrested and allegedly tortured journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Egyptian journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah arrested on false news charges, allegedly tortured

October 15, 2019 12:55 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., October 15, 2019 — Egyptian authorities must immediately release imprisoned journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah, drop all charges against her, and investigate allegations that she was physically abused in state custody, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Police officers are seen in Cairo, Egypt, on September 27, 2019. Police recently arrested several journalists amid a crackdown throughout the country. (Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Egypt arrests 3 more journalists amid crackdown

September 30, 2019 4:15 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., September 30, 2019 — Egyptian authorities should immediately release journalists Alaa Abdelfattah, Nasser Abdelhafez, Engi Abdel Wahab, and all others who have been imprisoned for their reporting, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Police officers are seen in Cairo, Egypt, on September 21, 2019. Police recently arrested several journalists covering protests in Cairo and other cities, and authorities blocked news websites and Facebook Messenger. (AFP/Mohamed el-Shahed)

Egypt authorities arrest 3 journalists, block websites amid anti-government protests

September 23, 2019 3:59 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., September 23, 2019 — Egyptian authorities must release any journalists arrested covering protests and stop restricting access to news and social media websites, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Egyptian security forces are seen in Cairo on May 13, 2018. Security forces recently arrested the son of al-Mashhad editor Magdi Shandi. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Egyptian security forces arrest son of al-Mashhad editor Magdi Shandi

September 10, 2019 4:00 PM EDT

Washington, D.C., September 10, 2019 — Egyptian authorities must immediately release Omar Shandi and stop harassing the families of critical journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A copy of Egyptian newspaper al-Tahrir is seen in Cairo on December 3, 2012. The newspaper is facing insolvency after its website was blocked in May. (AFP/Gianluigi Guercia)

Al-Tahrir newspaper threatened by insolvency as website blocked in Egypt since May

June 25, 2019 4:50 PM EDT

New York, June 25, 2019 — Egyptian authorities should immediately unblock the website of al-Tahrir newspaper and ensure that media outlets can publish online freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A banner depicting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is seen outside a polling station, during the referendum on draft constitutional amendments, in Cairo, Egypt, on April 20, 2019. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Egypt tests new censorship law with handling of al-Mashhad website block

May 7, 2019 2:44 PM EDT

Magdy Shandi, editor-in-chief of the Cairo-based independent newspaper al-Mashhad, planned to send 30 journalists to report from polling stations while votes were being cast in Egypt’s constitutional referendum between April 20 and April 22. He ended up ordering them to stay away, he told CPJ in a telephone interview in May. The state’s media regulator…