Egypt / Middle East & North Africa

  

Egyptian journalist Mohamed Monir dies after contracting COVID-19 in pretrial detention

Washington, D.C., July 13, 2020 — In response to the death of Egyptian journalist Mohamed Monir after contracting COVID-19 in pretrial detention, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “We are extremely disturbed by journalist Mohamed Monir’s death today after he spent more than two weeks unnecessarily held in pretrial detention at Cairo’s…

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At least 4 Egyptian journalists remain in detention since arrests in March and April

As of June 29, 2020, at least four Egyptian journalists who covered the COVID-19 pandemic remain in prison following their arrests in March and April, according to news reports and local journalists and lawyers who spoke to CPJ. On March 15, state security officers arrested Atef Hassaballah el-Sayed, editor-in-chief of local newspaper al-Qarar al-Dawly, at…

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Family of imprisoned journalist Alaa Abdelfattah assaulted in Egypt

New York, June 22, 2020—In response to news reports that unidentified women assaulted the family of imprisoned journalist Alaa Abdelfattah outside Tora prison in Cairo today, as prison authorities watched, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “Egyptian authorities must hold accountable those who beat, robbed, and forcibly removed Alaa Abdelfattah’s family from…

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Police at Monir's apartment

Egyptian journalist Mohamed Monir detained, charged with spreading false news

New York, June 15, 2020 — Egyptian authorities must immediately release journalist Mohamed Monir and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Earlier today, plainclothes security officers in Giza arrested Monir, a veteran journalist and freelance columnist who had recently written for the Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, according to Al-Jazeera and…

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Egyptian security forces detain 2 freelance journalists

New York, May 28, 2020 — Egyptian authorities should immediately release journalists Sameh Haneen and Shimaa Samy, and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 16, state security officers in Cairo arrested Haneen, a freelance journalist and documentary producer, at his home, according to news reports. Later that…

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In this Nov. 24, 2017 photo, Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, a prominent investigative media outlet in Egypt, participates in a panel discussion at cultural center in Cairo, Egypt. Mada Masr said editor Lina Attalah was arrested Sunday, May 17, 2020, outside Cairo's Tora prison complex. She was there to interview the mother of a prominent jailed activist, Alaa Abdelfattah. It's the latest arrest amid a wider crackdown on dissent. (AP/Roger Anis)

Egyptian police arrest Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah outside of Tora prison

New York, May 17, 2020— Egyptian authorities must immediately release Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah, who was arrested outside the prison where her colleague Alaa Abdelfattah is on hunger strike protesting his detention, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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A police officer is seen in Cairo, Egypt, on March 25, 2020. Authorities recently detained journalist Haisam Mahgoub on false news and terrorism allegations. (Reuters/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

Egypt detains journalist Haisam Mahgoub on false news, terrorism allegations

New York, May 14, 2019 — Egyptian authorities should immediately release journalist Haisam Hasan Mahgoub and let him report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Security forces are seen in Cairo, Egypt, on March 29, 2020. Authorities recently blocked the Darb news website throughout Egypt. (AP/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egypt blocks Darb news website

On April 9, 2020, Egyptian authorities blocked Darb, a news website owned by the opposition Socialist Popular Movement Party, according to a report by the website and news reports.

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CPJ, 80 media and rights groups urge African heads of state to release jailed journalists

CPJ and 80 media, press freedom, and human rights organizations write to African heads of state to call on their respective governments to release all jailed journalists amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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A police officer is seen at Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, on March 19, 2020. Egypt recently expelled Guardian reporter Ruth Michaelson over her reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak. (Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh)

Egypt expels Guardian reporter Ruth Michaelson over COVID-19 coverage

New York, March 26, 2020 — In response to Egypt’s expulsion of Ruth Michaelson, a reporter for The Guardian, the Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement:

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