Egypt Arrests Cartoonist’s Wife and Journalist, Escalating Crackdown on Media

January 16, 2025 – Egypt – 

Egyptian authorities arrested Nada Mougheeth, the wife of imprisoned satirical cartoonist Ashraf Omar, and Ahmed Serag, a journalist from the independent outlet ZatMasr. Their arrests came after Serag published an interview with Mougheeth in which she spoke out about her husband’s detention and alleged abuses by security forces.

According to human rights groups and press freedom advocates, the arrests mark a dangerous escalation in Egypt’s efforts to silence dissent and intimidate anyone who speaks out. Mougheeth had publicly criticized the authorities for confiscating her family’s savings during Omar’s arrest and for keeping him in prolonged pretrial detention. Omar was arrested in July 2024 over political cartoons that criticized the government’s handling of economic conditions, blackouts, and state repression.

Mougheeth was taken from her Cairo home by state security agents and brought before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP), where she was charged with spreading false information. She was later released on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately USD 160). Meanwhile, journalist Ahmed Serag remains in custody and faces multiple serious charges, including “spreading false news,” “misusing social media,” and “joining a terrorist group”—charges frequently used by Egyptian authorities to silence critical voices.

Press freedom organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), condemned the arrests, calling them part of a “disturbing pattern” of harassment and intimidation. Egypt is one of the world’s worst jailers of journalists, with dozens currently behind bars under vague national security laws. The targeting of journalists’ family members, as in the case of Mougheeth, is becoming increasingly common.

Reference – 

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-wife-detained-cartoonist-ashraf-omar-arrested-cairo

Egypt arrests journalist, wife of jailed cartoonist after interview