New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately release journalist Karim Asaad following his arrest on Saturday, August 19. On Saturday, armed state security officers in plainclothes arrested Asaad, an investigative reporter for the independent fact-checking and news website Matsda2sh, at his home in Cairo. Officers assaulted the journalist's wife and child while raiding his home, according to a statement by Matsda2sh and news reports. The day before Asaad's arrest, Matsda2sh published reports alleging that a number of people affiliated with the Egyptian security services had been arrested in Zambia, and a private plane carrying them had been seized. At least 21 journalists were imprisoned in Egypt at the time of CPJ's December 1, 2022, prison census.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 21, 2023 05:42 UTC