A UN call for Egypt to release journalists and stop harassing independent media

The United Nations criticized what it described as the escalation of attacks on press freedom in Egypt, calling for an end to what it considered harassment targeting journalists and media institutions. These criticisms were received today, Tuesday (November 10, 2026), from the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters.

Thameen Al-Khitan, spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the organization is following an escalation in the targeting and harassment of independent journalists, stressing “the need to enable them to perform their work freely and without intimidation or retaliatory measures.”

The Egyptian authorities did not comment on this

The "Don't Believe" website is at the heart of the crisis

The Commission focused on the issue of the “Mtsadeqsh” platform, which specializes in fact-finding, noting that the Egyptian authorities suspended its entire editorial team. Al-Khitan explained that the six journalists are still in detention, while their lawyers spoke about allegations of torture, ill-treatment, and forcing them to make fabricated confessions.

The United Nations called for their release and the dropping of charges related to their practice of journalistic work. For its part, Reuters reported that the Egyptian police arrested the team members in September 2026 on charges of spreading misleading information on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which the platform denied.

Judicial pressure on Mada Masr

The United Nations also expressed its concern about the measures taken against the independent “Mada Masr” website and its editor-in-chief, Lina Atallah, who faces a one-year prison sentence in absentia after being convicted of running the website without a license.

An Egyptian court had fined three million pounds and ordered the site to be closed, while human rights organizations considered that the case represented a new escalation against freedom of the press in the country.

On Wednesday (November 11, 2026), a court in Cairo postponed consideration of Atallah’s case, to consider the defense team’s request for the court’s response, according to the website.

Demands release and investigation

The UN Commission called on the Egyptian authorities to investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment and to guarantee the rights of detainees to communicate with their lawyers and families and to obtain health care.

It also called for a reversal of the measures that hinder the work of the “Matasdaksh” and “Mada Masr” platforms, stressing that freedom of expression and access to information are fundamental rights that must be respected.

The Egyptian authorities did not respond to requests from Reuters for comment on the Mada Masr case or broader issues related to freedom of the press. They have repeatedly stressed that the state is committed to freedom of expression, but the media must operate within the framework of the law and respect national security.