Egypt's Journalists Syndicate Defies Pressure Over Six Detained Reporters Facing Terror Charges

The head of Egypt's Journalists Syndicate has publicly defended his organisation's decision to stand behind six journalists detained by security authorities last month, rejecting criticism from pro-government figures who accused the union of overstepping its role. Khaled Elbalshy, who leads the syndicate, issued a statement on Sunday asserting that the union would not abandon its colleagues despite mounting pressure.

"What happens to one colleague affects us all, and may happen to others tomorrow," Elbalshy said. He added that any infringement on a single journalist's freedom amounts to an infringement on the freedom of the entire profession, weakening the safeguards designed to protect media workers across the country.

The six journalists — Mohamed Adel, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Islam Barakat, Omar Helal, Mohamed Mahmoud and Abdallah Qadry — were arrested on September 28 and 29. All of them work for Matsadaash, an independent investigative website that has gained prominence in recent years for its fact-checking and in-depth reporting.

Following their arrests, the journalists appeared before Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution, the body responsible for handling national security cases. Prosecutors ordered them held in pretrial detention for 15 days while investigations continue, a common practice in cases tied to security-related charges in Egypt.

The syndicate subsequently filed a formal complaint with Egypt's public prosecutor over allegations that the detained journalists had been subjected to torture while in custody. Egyptian authorities have denied the accusations, and commentators aligned with the government have criticised the syndicate for defending the reporters.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), whose lawyers are representing the six men, provided detailed accounts of their treatment. According to the rights group, the journalists were initially held for five days without any contact with their families or legal counsel. Only after complaints were lodged did they appear before prosecutors, where they were questioned in the presence of their lawyers and a representative from the Journalists Syndicate.

The EIPR said the journalists are being held under Egypt's 2015 Counterterrorism Law, which permits suspects to be kept in custody before appearing before prosecutors when authorities determine there is a risk of a terrorist crime and a necessity to confront that risk. The rights group, however, pointed out that the prosecution's case against the journalists centres merely on allegations that they published rumours or "false" reports.

"The public prosecution should have identified the imminent terrorist threat that required denying them their right to appear before a judicial authority within 24 hours of their arrest," the EIPR said in a statement on October 7. The organisation has also reported that most of the six journalists claimed they were tortured after their arrests, describing beatings and electric shocks. Several of the detained individuals were allegedly forced to record fabricated confessions, according to the rights group.

Egypt's Interior Ministry has rejected all allegations of torture, maintaining that authorities acted within the law. The discrepancy between the accounts provided by the journalists and the official denial has intensified scrutiny of the case, both within Egypt and abroad.

Prosecutors have accused the six journalists of working for a media organisation tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that Egyptian authorities have cracked down on extensively since the 2013 coup against democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi, who was a member of the organisation. Egypt has officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a "terrorist" group, a label the organisation has strongly denied. Human rights groups have long accused Egyptian authorities of using such designations to repress freedoms and silence dissent.

Matsadaash co-founder Abdelrahman Mansour has categorically rejected any links between the media platform and the Muslim Brotherhood. The outlet was founded in 2018 as a fact-checking initiative but has since expanded into investigative journalism. Its website is blocked inside Egypt, but it maintains a significant following on social media, with more than 1.3 million followers on Facebook.

In his statement, Elbalshy reaffirmed a fundamental legal principle that he said should govern all such matters. "The fundamental principle governing all such matters, particularly when dealing with accused persons in general and vulnerable people in particular, remains that an accused person is innocent until proven guilty," he said.

The case is not the first time Matsadaash has faced pressure from Egyptian authorities. In 2023, one of its journalists, Karim Asaad, was arrested after the outlet published an investigation into a suspected smuggling scandal involving a plane that had flown from Cairo to Zambia. He was later released.

The detention of the six journalists and the allegations surrounding their treatment have drawn attention to the broader climate for press freedom in Egypt. The Journalists Syndicate's decision to file a complaint and publicly defend the reporters underscores the tension between media professionals and state institutions. Elbalshy's remarks signal that the syndicate intends to continue advocating for its members despite the political sensitivities involved.

The case remains under investigation, with the journalists held in pretrial detention. The outcome could have implications not only for the six individuals but also for how independent media outlets operate in Egypt. The syndicate's stance, meanwhile, has positioned it as a vocal defender of press freedoms at a time when such advocacy carries significant risks.