• Six journalists from the fact-checking outlet Matsadaash face terrorism charges in Egypt.
• The journalists were accused of working for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and spreading misinformation.
• Claims of torture during their detention have been denied by the Interior Ministry.
• International rights organizations have condemned the arrests, highlighting ongoing concerns over press freedom in Egypt.
• Egypt holds 26 journalists as part of a broader crackdown on dissent since 2013.

Egyptian prosecutors have charged six journalists from the independent fact-checking platform Matsadaash with terrorism-related offenses, alleging their connections to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Arrested during raids on September 28 and 29, these journalists make up the entire staff of the platform that often investigates officials' statements and state activities, according to reports from Le Monde, Africa News, and India Times.

The eight accused journalists were reported to have received foreign funding to disseminate "false news" and undermine state authority. Prosecutors asserted that those involved had even received compliance directives from Brotherhood leaders abroad, instructing them on how to incite public unrest by exposing government shortcomings, as outlined by Africa News and India Times.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is representing the detained journalists, has disclosed that they reported incidents of torture while in custody, a claim that has been categorically denied by the Interior Ministry. The ministry described these allegations as “unfounded” and part of a strategy to evade legal responsibility, as stated by Le Monde and India Times.

The crackdown on independent journalism has provoked an international outcry, with numerous rights organizations condemning the detention as a significant escalation in the ongoing suppression of press freedom in Egypt. As reported, Egypt is currently holding 26 journalists in total, an alarming statistic given the broader context of media censorship in the country post-2013 coup, according to Africa News and India Times.