Egyptian journalists are organizing a protest in Cairo this weekend following the detention of six colleagues charged with terrorism offenses. The journalists, associated with the independent fact-checking and investigative platform Matsadaash, allege they were tortured while in police custody.

Background

Last week, Egyptian authorities arrested the six journalists, accusing them of being unlicensed and producing false news on behalf of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The arrested journalists include Abdallah Qadri, Mohamed Ashraf Abu Emeira, Mohamed Adel, Islam Barakat, Mohamed Mahmoud, and Omar Helal. They were apprehended at their homes and in public by plainclothes officers.

Allegations of Torture

The journalists have reported to their lawyers that they were tortured and coerced into filming false confessions, claims that police officials have denied. Hadeer El-Mahdawy, a journalist involved in organizing the protest, expressed concern, stating:

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"We were horrified by the news of the torture of our six colleagues."

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the public prosecution indicated that three of the journalists who alleged mistreatment underwent forensic examinations, which reportedly found no injuries or signs of violence.