Journalist Mahmoud Al-Saqa has returned to prison—nearly one month after he was released—charged with publishing false news.
Al-Saqa, who works for the privately owned online news platform Yanair Gate, was previously arrested on 30 December 2015 and detained on charges of forming an illegal political movement called Youth of 25 January. The location of his detention remained unknown for several days following his arrest. He was released several months later, in early March.
During his detention, Al-Saqa was tortured by security forces who attempted to elicit a confession from the journalist, according to the Arab Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI).
Prior to his arrest on Sunday, Al-Saqa took part in a sit-in at the Press Syndicate’s headquarters with his editor-in-chief Amr Badr, who was also arrested.
In a press statement, Al-Saqa’s brother stated that security forces had raided their house twice in search for the journalist.
Al-Saqa was a member of the Tamarod movement, which played a significant role in mobilising protests against the Muslim Brotherhood regime in 2013. He also took part in Hamdeen Sabahy’s 2014 presidential campaign.
