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Egypt charges six Matsadaash journalists with terrorism
Egyptian authorities have brought terrorism charges against six journalists from the fact-checking website Matsadaash. The journalists were arrested during raids on September 28 and 29.
Prosecutors allege the group is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed organization in Egypt. The state claims the journalists received monthly foreign currency funding from a company owned by a Brotherhood member abroad to spread rumors and fake news intended to undermine trust in state institutions and incite protests.
Matsadaash, which has operated since 2018, maintains that its mission is to verify information and correct false statements regardless of the source. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has accused authorities of using torture and ill-treatment to extract confessions from the detainees, though the Ministry of Interior has denied these claims.
Entities
Egypt · Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights · Egyptian Ministry of Interior · Matsadaash · Muslim Brotherhood
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The journalists allegedly received monthly foreign currency funding from a company owned by a Muslim Brotherhood member abroad. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Six journalists from the Matsadaash website face terrorism charges for alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr
- [● 3 SOURCES] The funding was intended to create websites to spread rumors and fake news to undermine trust in state institutions. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr
- [DISPUTED] The Egyptian Ministry of Interior denied the allegations of torture and ill-treatment. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr
- [DISPUTED] The EIPR NGO reported that the six journalists suffered torture and ill-treatment to extract confessions. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Matsadaash website, founded in 2018, specializes in fact-checking and verifying information. www.businessdaily.gr · athina984.gr · www.zougla.gr