[JURIST] Egyptian researcher and freelance journalist, Ismail Alexandrani, was detained and interrogated upon his arrival in Egypt Tuesday for spreading false news. After an eight-hour interrogation Alexandrani was ordered to be jailed for 15 days [AP report] pending an investigation into claims that he joined and campaigned for an illegal organization and spread false news with the intent to disrupting the public peace and spreading horror.

The prosecution and imprisonment of journalists by the Egyptian government has garnered widespread criticism from governments and rights groups worldwide. In August Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi approved [JURIST report] a 54-article counter-terrorism law that has been met with significant controversy, as many believe it infringes on the freedom of the press. Many have said that the law defines terrorism too broadly and imposes harsh sentences and fines on violators. Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized [JURIST report] Egypt’s new counterterrorism law saying it infringes on freedom of the press. HRW opposes the fact that the new law gives prosecutors the power to detain suspects without a court order. Also in August Egyptian police arrested [JURIST report] three people under the law for their role in spreading propaganda related to the Islamic State on Facebook.