Egypt arrests 4 journalists

Police in Egypt have arrested four journalists reporting and conducting interviews on the street, amid the government’s crackdown on dissent.

Security officials reported the news on Saturday, saying that Hamdy Mokhtar, Mohammed Hassan, and Osama al-Bishbishi, who were arrested on September 26, face charges of publishing false news.

The three were reportedly conducting street interviews in downtown Cairo about a request by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for small donations of spare change to fund development programs, an unconventional scheme which has stirred public ire in Egypt.

Police also arrested a fourth individual, identified as Noura Nasser, on September 27, during protests by a group of postgraduates outside the cabinet’s office. Nasser, who reports for an opposition news website, was also conducting interviews with protesters who demanded jobs. — AFP.