Egypt releases two journalists

Solafa Magdy and her husband Hossam el-Sayyad had been held in pre-trial detention for 16 months over their journalism work

Magdy and Sayyad had been in custody for more than 16 months on charges of “spreading false news” and “joining a terrorist group”, as part of case No 488 of the year 2019, which is linked to the crackdown on the rare anti-government protests of March that year.

The international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes Egypt as one of the worst jailers of journalists worldwide, and ranks it at 166 in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.

The group said that since Sisi’s military coup in 2013, the country’s media has been undergoing a process of “Sisification”, with a witchhunt waged against opposition journalists and those who voice criticism online.