Egypt arrests six journalists from independent outlet, rights groups object

Egyptian authorities have arrested six journalists from the independent outlet Mada Masr.

They are accused of having ties to the banned Muslim Brotherhood and of producing false news online using foreign funding. Egypt's Interior Ministry described Mada Masr as an unlicensed outlet operating from India and claimed those arrested were members of the Brotherhood's 'media committee.'

Mada Masr co-founder Abdelrahman Mansour has denied all the allegations. According to him, the journalists were arrested from different locations on Monday and Tuesday, and their mobile phones and computers were confiscated.

Mansour said the families have not even been told where the journalists are being held. International and regional rights groups have demanded the journalists' immediate release.

Mada Masr's website, known for investigative reporting from Arab countries, is blocked in Egypt, but it has more than one million followers on Facebook.