Egypt detains Mohamed Ashraf on terrorism and false news charges
Egyptian journalist Mohamed Ashraf has been charged with joining a terrorist group and spreading "false news" as authorities investigate the detention of six journalists from the independent outlet Matsadaash, including Mohamed Ashraf, with authorities holding Ashraf for 15 days as they investigate.
Rights groups demand Egyptian journalists' release
The crackdown has sparked global criticism: more than 80 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, are calling for the journalists' release.
Matsadaash's co-founder Abdelrahman Mansour strongly denied any Brotherhood ties, calling the arrests "one of the gravest attacks on journalism in Egypt's modern history."
Meanwhile, Egyptian journalists have staged a sit-in in Cairo to demand their colleagues' release, highlighting growing concerns about press freedom in Egypt.