An Egyptian journalist, Karim Assaad, was apprehended early Saturday after his independent fact-checking site, “Matsada2sh”, issued articles accusing “officials” of involvement in a financial scandal. He was arrested at his house by members of the security forces in civilian clothes at 01:00 in the morning. Alarming details have been conveyed, such as threats to his family and his detention at an unknown destination.
The fact-checking platform, founded in London in 2018, stated the attackers appeared mainly interested in covering the Egypt-Zambia plane affair, a recent case where a private plane was seized at the airport International from Lusaka to Zambia with a considerable amount of cash and other items. Independent Egyptian reporters have raised questions about the possible involvement of Egyptians, some of whom are thought to be army and police officers, in the case.
The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate has called on the authorities to liberate Karim Assaad and disclose his whereabouts. Nevertheless, the government has yet to respond to these calls.
The arrest of Karim Assaad and the targeted attacks on the fact-checking site highlights the continuing challenges to freedom of expression in Egypt. Calls for his release and for the protection of independent journalists continue to resonate in a context where human rights and freedom of expression remain concerns.
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