Egypt remands Masr al-Arabia editor over 'terror charges' amid media crackdown

Egypt's prosecutor on Thursday ordered that Adel Sabry, editor-in-chief of Masr al-Arabia, remain in custody pending an investigation into a series of allegations, his website reported.

Masr al-Arabia said Sabri stands accused of joining a "terrorist group" – referring to the Muslim Brotherhood – as well as "spreading false news" and "inciting protests against the state".

The Brotherhood, for decades Egypt's main opposition movement, was blacklisted as a "terrorist group" in December 2013 after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Police raided the website's office on Tuesday, arresting Sabri on charges of "operating without a licence" and shutting down the Cairo bureau.

The raid came after the state media regulator fined the outlet for translating an article by The New York Times that detailed vote-buying in last week's presidential elections.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won a second, four-year term in office with 97 percent in the vote.

Sisi faced no real competitor and critics derided the election as undemocratic.

Sabri's arrest has been harshly criticised by international rights groups.

"We call on the Egyptian government to ease this relentless crackdown and let the news media do its job of holding power to account," the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth said: "Bad news should be no news in Sisi’s world."

Masr al-Arabia is among about 500 websites which have been blocked by Egyptian authorities.

Egypt ranks 161 out of 180 countries in terms of press freedoms, according to watchdog Reporters Without Borders' 2017 Press Freedoms Index.

At least 29 journalists are in detention, according to Reporters Without Borders, including some accused of working for media affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.