Egyptian journalists plan Cairo protest following detention of six colleagues

Egyptian journalists are planning to hold a new protest in Cairo this weekend after six colleagues were charged with terrorism offences. The Guardian reported that the detentions have sparked anger following allegations that the arrested workers were tortured while in police custody. [1]

Egyptian authorities arrested the journalists last week from Matsadaash, an independent factchecking and investigative platform. According to the Guardian, official statements accused the platform of operating without a licence and spreading false news on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation. [1]

Staff members at Matsadaash allege that those detained faced torture and were forced into giving false confessions. The Guardian identified one of the detained journalists as Abdallah Qadri. [1]

The Muslim Brotherhood was removed from power in July 2013 when army chief General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi led a coup d'etat to overthrow then-President Mohamed Morsi. Following national protests, military authorities placed Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders under house arrest. [2]