Egypt Arrests Six Tied to Fact-Checking Platform Over Alleged Muslim Brotherhood Links

Egyptian police have apprehended six individuals associated with an online platform on allegations of disseminating false news and maintaining connections to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

According to an official statement from the Interior Ministry, authorities identified an unlicensed digital page known as Matsadaqsh (Don't Believe It). The ministry claimed the platform operated from abroad to publish misleading reports and distorted facts.

"An investigation found that the page is part of the media committees of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood and is run by Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Rahman Shoukry Ali Abdel Jalil Mansour, who is a fugitive abroad," the statement declared. The ministry added that he received assistance domestically from individuals who prepared fabricated reports in exchange for financial compensation sent from overseas.

Following legal procedures, six members of the media committee were taken into custody. Among them, one person is registered with the Journalists’ Syndicate, while the remaining suspects hold no such membership. The ministry confirmed that the head of the Journalists' Syndicate was notified regarding the arrest and its surrounding circumstances.

Matsadaqsh functions as an online platform specializing in fact-checking Egyptian and Arab content, alongside producing open-source investigations. Boasting a following of over 1.3 million on Facebook, the platform issued a statement strongly denying all accusations.

Since President Abdel Fattah El Sisi assumed power in 2013, Egyptian authorities have banned the Muslim Brotherhood, designated it as a terrorist organization, and initiated prosecutions against thousands of its members and supporters.