Washington, D.C., February 21, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the blocking of Egyptian independent media outlet Zawia3, based in Brussels, and calls on Egyptian authorities to end the country’s systematic censorship of independent journalism.
“The blocking of Zawia3 is yet another example of Egyptian authorities arbitrarily censoring media without legal justification, using technology to suppress journalism and restrict Egyptians’ access to information,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna. “Targeting a media outlet based abroad is a clear act of transnational repression. Egypt’s telecommunications service providers should recognize that their services are being weaponized to silence independent media.”
In a statement posted online, Zawia3 said it noticed network disruptions on February 15, with independent experts confirming on February 19 that the outlet’s site had been blocked in Egypt by an “unknown entity.” According to Zawia3, the blocking was executed using a “reset attack,” which disrupts connections.
Ahmed Gamal Ziada, editor-in-chief of Zawia3 and a Brussels-based Egyptian journalist, told CPJ, “We are conducting investigative journalism on Egypt, and independent investigative reporting is not welcomed by those who fail to understand its role in exposing corruption and promoting accountability.”
Egyptian authorities under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have used various transnational repression tactics to target journalists and human rights defenders. In August 2023, Ziada’s father was arrested in Egypt and questioned about his son’s journalism during interrogations. He was later released in September 2023 after being accused of using social media to spread false information.
Egypt has a history of blocking independent media, blocking Egyptian news site Cairo 24 in November 2024.
CPJ emailed Egypt’s Supreme Council for Media Regulation for comment on Zawia3 but did not receive any reply.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.