Egypt: Sudanese journalist arrested over alleged social media post

On 8 September, Attaf Mohamed Mokhtar, a Sudanese journalist and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Al-Sudani, was arrested at his home in Cairo, Egypt, and taken to an undisclosed location, reportedly in connection with a social media post critical of Sudan's internal affairs. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Sudanese Journalists' Union (SJU), in calling on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mokhtar.

Credit: Attaf Mohamed Mokhtar's Facebook page.

It has been a week since Attaf Mohamed Mokhtar was arrested and still no allegations against him have been made public by the Egyptian authorities.

Mokhtar, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Al-Sudani, fled Sudan with his family and settled down in Cairo after the civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), began in April 2023. He is known for being a vocal critic of the role of external powers supporting the RSF and interfering in Sudan's internal affairs.

He was reportedly arrested in connection with a social media post criticising Sudan's internal affairs, but the Egyptian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied this information.

The SJU issued a statement calling for the immediate release of Mokhtar and pointing out that they had contacted senior officials from Sudan's government to call for his freedom. "The union is deeply concerned about the fate of Attaf, given the absence of information regarding his health or the circumstances that led to his detention from his apartment in Cairo. We hope for his immediate release and for clarification of the reasons behind his arrest [...]".

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger demanded Mokhtar's immediate release and warned that his arrest would have a chilling effect on exiled journalists in Egypt, who would no longer feel safe expressing their views for fear of intimidation and harassment. Bellanger said:

"We are extremely concerned by the arrest of Mokhtar, a journalist who was simply exercising his right to freedom of expression by voicing critical views on his country's internal affairs. Independent journalism and critical voices are particularly important in conflict zones, as they inform citizens and shape an informed public opinion. This case raises serious concerns about freedom of expression, and it could have a chilling effect on exiled journalists in the country. Egypt is well-known for hosting exiled journalists from the region, and their safety must be guaranteed. The IFJ urges the Egyptian authorities to release Mokhtar immediately and unconditionally."