Egypt: Dozens of Journalists Stage Sit-In Outside Their Union to Demand Release of 'Matsaddaqsh' Team

Dozens of journalists gathered outside the headquarters of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate in Cairo in a protest calling for the release of six detained colleagues who make up the entire team of "Matsaddaqsh," a platform specialising in verifying the accuracy of content circulating online.

Egyptian authorities had described the platform as "unlicensed" and claimed it was "run from abroad," invoking these characterisations to justify the arrest of its team members. Participants in the sit-in, however, contend that the arrests target journalistic work limited solely to fact-checking and combating misinformation.

Protesters raised banners demanding the immediate release of the six colleagues, arguing that their continued detention sends a damaging message about press freedom in Egypt — particularly in the field of fact-checking, which is expanding rapidly around the world.

The syndicate has yet to issue a unified official position on the matter, while journalists participating in the sit-in await any move from the syndicate or judicial authorities regarding the case of their detained colleagues.

The incident comes amid a recurring debate in Egypt over the limits of independent journalism and the licensing restrictions imposed on media and digital platforms operating in the country, with rights organisations calling for a review of the legal frameworks governing such activities.