EU officials said they were concerned after staff from the Matsadaash newsroom were arrested in late September and remain in custody, and after the editor-in-chief and co-founder of independent outlet Mada Masr was convicted this month, leading to the organisation’s closure.
The arrests took place on 28 – 29 September, according to a statement from the EU spokesperson released on Thursday.
It said the individuals detained were members of the Matsadaash newsroom.
The editor-in-chief and co-founder of Mada Masr was convicted on 27 October, and the conviction led to the outlet’s closure, the EU said.
Rights commitments and media freedom
Freedom of expression is a fundamental right for both the European Union and Egypt, the spokesperson stated.
The statement cited the EU – Egypt Association Agreement and the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership as including commitments to democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Egypt’s National Human Rights Strategy seeks to promote pluralism and a diversity of views, the statement declared.
It added that Egypt’s laws recognise freedom of opinion and expression.
Independent media outlets need to be preserved and protected, the EU said.
