March 03, 2018 - 4:07 AM
CAIRO - Egyptian prosecutors have ordered the detention of two journalists for 15 days pending an investigation after their arrest while preparing a report on the historic Alexandria tramway.
Defence attorney Mohammed Hafez said Friday's decision regarding free-lance journalists May al-Sabbagh and Ahmed Moustafa came after their arrest Wednesday. He said the two were working on a report for the Al Bayan newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates.
Hafez said the two Egyptian citizens face charges including belonging to an outlawed group and possession of visual and audio equipment with the intent to spread false news.
Egypt has regularly detained, jailed and prosecuted journalists under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who led the military's 2013 overthrow of an elected Islamist president.
Egypt ranks near the bottom of press freedom indexes.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018