Egypt / Middle East & North Africa

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Saturday in condemning the prolonged pre-trial detention of Egyptian journalist Hamdi al-Zaeem, and calling on Egyptian authorities to immediately release him. Al-Zaeem was first arrested on September 26, 2016, then released conditionally on June 23, 2018. He was re-arrested in January 2021 and accused of spreading…

Washington, D.C., September 11, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of prominent Sudanese journalist Ataf Mohamed Mokhtar and the reasons for his arrest. Ataf was arrested Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from his home in Cairo, with no official announcement from Egyptian authorities on the legal basis for…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Wednesday to strongly condemn the arrest and enforced disappearance of at least 36 Shi’a Muslims in Egypt, including journalist Haidar Qandil, and called for their immediate release. Qandil was arrested on June 22, 2026, outside the offices of Al-Dostor newspaper in Giza, Greater Cairo, and taken…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined partner organizations on Wednesday to mark Ashraf Omar’s second arrest anniversary by calling for his immediate release. In the letter, the signatories voice concern over the significant time that has passed since the Al-Manassa cartoonist was arrested in his home on July 22, 2024 and their refusal to accept…

In a joint statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined several press freedom and human rights organizations on Thursday, urging Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release political writer Ahmed Douma. Douma was arrested on April 6 at the Supreme State Security Prosecution headquarters following a six-hour interrogation and held for nearly two months in…

As LGBTQ+ communities celebrate Pride this June, many journalists continue to face an ugly reality: simply reporting on this community can open them up to prosecution, physical attacks, threats, arrest, exile, and even death.  Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-born American who blogged about LGBTQ+ rights and free expression, was stabbed to death alongside his wife after…

Washington, D.C., June 24, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to immediately reveal the whereabouts of prominent journalist Haidar Qandil, who disappeared Monday after leaving his office, according to his family and several media outlets. Freelance Egyptian journalist Iman Adel said in a Facebook post that she had been in contact with…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 14 other press freedom and human rights organizations on Monday, expressing concern over Egypt’s failure to show meaningful progress on human rights, democracy, or the rule of law, despite the European Union presenting such progress as a key condition of the €5 billion (US$5.75 billion) macro-financial assistance (MFA) package…

Washington, D.C., June 3, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Egyptian political commentator Ahmed Douma, who was handed a one-year prison sentence on Wednesday over his criticism of conditions inside Egypt’s prisons.  “The sentencing of Ahmed Douma for writing about prison conditions is a stark violation of the right to free…

Washington, D.C., April 8, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by new reports about spear-phishing attacks against several Egyptian and Lebanese journalists aimed at compromising their Apple, Microsoft, and Google accounts.  According to reports by digital rights organizations Access Now and SMEX, unidentified entities likely hired a South Asia-focused cyber espionage group…