Police raid Cairo offices of Turkish Anadolu News Agency, arrest at least four

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 16 January 2020

Egyptian authorities arrested four people at the Anadolu News Agency's Cairo office on accusations of false news. The arrests have raised concerns over press freedom in Egypt.

Summary

WASHINGTON, D.C—Egyptian authorities have arrested at least four people at the Anadolu News Agency office in Cairo on allegations of spreading false news and operating without a license, according to a report by the agency and other news reports.

At about 6:00 p.m., police raided the Turkish state-run outlet and arrested Hilmi Balcı, a Turkish national and an administrator in the office, and Hussein al-Qabbani and Hussein al-Abbas, both journalists and Egyptian nationals, according to the news agency.

They are being held in an undisclosed location, the agency said. News reports said that a fourth individual was also detained; CPJ could not immediately determine if he was a journalist.

“Journalists operating in Egypt should not have to work in fear that they will be used to settle political scores between countries,” said CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa coordinator, Sherif Mansour. “Authorities must immediately release the Anadolu News Agency staffers arrested yesterday, and stop using false news charges to harass and silence the media.”—A CPJ statement/Photo: Reuters

KEY POINTS:

• Four individuals arrested at Anadolu News Agency in Cairo.
• Accusations include spreading false news and operating without a license.
• Notable detainees include Turkish national Hilmi Balc? and two Egyptian journalists.
• Authorities urged to stop using false news charges against journalists.
• The incident highlights ongoing issues of media freedom in Egypt.