The Supreme State Security Prosecution extended on Tuesday, October 13, the detention of six Matsadaash journalists by another 15 days pending Case No. 8083/2026 (Supreme State Security). 

They face charges of joining and financing a terrorist group, “spreading false news” and using a social media account to disseminate it.

Prosecutors resumed questioning the journalists and considered extending their detention during the same session, without presenting a single piece of evidence to substantiate the charges, which all six denied. Questions focused on their journalistic work, their previous employers, how they joined Matsadaash and the editorial policy they follow. Although prosecutors questioned them about several reports they had published on the platform, they did not identify a single article containing lies, fabrications or even inaccurate information or data.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) maintains that the continued detention of the six journalists — Mohamed Ashraf, Abdallah Qadry, Islam Barakat, Omar Hilal, Mohamed Adel and Mohamed Mahmoud — violates Article 134 of the Criminal Procedure Code currently in force. The article limits pretrial detention to specific circumstances, none of which apply to the journalists. None was caught “in the act” of committing the alleged offenses, and they pose no flight risk: all have known addresses and families who depend on their care. Nor, EIPR stresses, is there reason to fear that these journalists, known for their professionalism, would jeopardize the investigation or seriously disrupt public security and order. 

Yet, prosecutors have disregarded the defense’s request to impose one of the alternative measures provided for under Article 201 of the code instead of pretrial detention.

The six journalists waited for hours at the Supreme State Security Prosecution’s premises before questioning began. During the interrogations, their lawyers asked prosecutors to record that guards had dragged several of the journalists and restrained them in a degrading manner. Some journalists also told prosecutors that they had been denied food and water since their arrival. The defense requested that these incidents be entered into the official record and investigated, but prosecutors took no action in response to the journalists’ accounts or their lawyers’ requests.

Mohamed Ashraf has been placed in the 10th of Ramadan 4 Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, while the other five journalists have been placed in the Badr 1 Correctional and Rehabilitation Center. None of the six has been allowed any contact with their family since their arrest more than two weeks ago, or a private meeting with their lawyer, even for a few minutes. Some said prison authorities had yet to allow them access to their medication. Others reported being denied exercise or any time outside their cells since arriving at Badr 1.

EIPR calls on Public Prosecutor Mohamed Shawky to investigate all complaints submitted by the six journalists and hear their testimony as victims of the torture and ill-treatment they reported suffering from the time of their arrest through yesterday. 

EIPR also calls for their immediate release and for all charges against them to be dropped.

The organization reiterates that the six journalists were simply doing their jobs, as protected by the Constitution and the law. EIPR considers the Public Prosecution’s statement on the case further confirmation of this: as the organization explained in its response, the statement contains no credible evidence supporting the charges against any of them. Throughout their lengthy interrogations, the journalists maintained that they had committed no criminal offense. 

EIPR stresses that the Constitution prohibits infringements on citizens’ rights, including personal liberty and freedom of expression.