NEW: Once one of Egypt’s most notorious regime enforcers, Sabry Nakhnoukh is now, again, behind bars. His story illuminates the unwritten contracts that bind the Egyptian state and the shadowy figures it relies on, writes Mohamed Mandour for @newlinesmag.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/running-note...

Sabry Nakhnoukh’s Arrest in Egypt Exposes a Political Order Built on Outlaw Enforcers

Once one of Egypt’s most notorious regime enforcers, Sabry Nakhnoukh is now behind bars again. His story illuminates the unwritten contracts that bind the Egyptian state and the shadowy figures it rel...

newlinesmag.com

My latest for @newlinesmag.bsky.social on a rare moment when Egypt's regime arrested one of its own. Nakhnoukh — Cairo's most feared shadow enforcer — went corporate, then he said no to the wrong deal. A story about thug life and Egypt's new business elite. newlinesmag.com/running-note...

Sabry Nakhnoukh’s Arrest in Egypt Exposes a Political Order Built on Outlaw Enforcers

Once one of Egypt’s most notorious regime enforcers, Sabry Nakhnoukh is now behind bars again. His story illuminates the unwritten contracts that bind the Egyptian state and the shadowy figures it rel...

newlinesmag.com

#Egypt: CPJ & others expressed serious concern over AppLogic Networks’ (formerly Sandvine) failure to provide full transparency about its withdrawal from Egypt and to offer meaningful remedies to those affected by its past business in the country. cpj.org/2026/02/cpj-...

CPJ, partners urge AppLogic Networks to disclose details on Egypt withdrawal - Committee to Protect Journalists

In a joint letter, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 10 rights organizations, along with independent news platforms, expressed serious concern over AppLogic Networks’ (formerly Sandvine) contin...

cpj.org

“The credibility of @timep.bsky.social carried my work into rooms where people had never heard my name but were willing to listen, engage, and later cite my research.” Wondering what it's like to be a Bassem Sabry Fellow? Catch my friend and former colleague @mandour.bsky.social's new video ⤵️

The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy@timep.bsky.social · 8mo ago

In exile, @mandour.bsky.social looked for support to refine his research, guide his advocacy, and navigate the policymaking space. "This is what the Bassem Sabry Fellowship became for me: a space that preserved the authenticity of my voice while amplifying it." youtu.be/ArfvMSGmWtM?...

I’m honored to join an incredible panel of experts to discuss the global rise of drone warfare. I’ll be speaking about how the proliferation of drones and AI-driven decision support systems (AI-DSS) is reshaping regional security—and what it means for the safety of journalists.

While the global attention focuses on #Yemen and the #Houthis, both supporters and critics of the U.S. attacks against the group are ignoring how the group is using this moment to escalate its attacks against the Yemeni people. Here's an example: cpj.org/2025/04/hout...

Houthi drone strike kills Yemeni-Dutch journalist, injures another - Committee to Protect Journalists

Washington, D.C., April 28, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the April 26 Houthi drone strike that killed journalist and filmmaker Musab al-Hattami and injured his brother, photograp...

cpj.org

Instead of allowing experts to share their insights on how to address Egypt’s current economic crisis, the Egyptian authorities are imprisoning one of the country’s most brilliant economic minds—over 60 years old—in a cell infested with large rats that pose serious health risks.

The Secretary of State should be aware that U.S. students and researchers abroad are actively writing and researching about the countries they reside in. His remarks essentially give these governments a green light to arrest or deport U.S. students and researchers if they disagree with their work.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last yr.

Marco Rubio on Rumeysa Ozturk: "We revoked her visa ... once you've lost your visa, you're no longer legally in the United States ... if you come into the US as a visitor and create a ruckus for us, we don't want it. We don't want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country."

1- When I think of Voice of America, I think of its unwavering commitment to telling the stories of persecuted journalists in the Middle East—voices silenced at home but amplified here for the American public and policymakers.

Immigrants legally in the United States on either a green card or a student visa may be forced to make some of the same calculations as those who live or work in authoritarian states abroad – but about our own government. Is it safe for me to speak my mind? Is it worth the risk? Will I be targeted?

Sarah McLaughlin@sarahemclaugh.bsky.social · last yr.

America’s immigration holding cells should not become detention centers for speech the government wants to target. I wrote about Mahmoud Khalil's case and its similarities to authoritarian regimes’ speech policing and use of deportation as a censorship tool at @theguardian.com.

Relaxed rules of engagement mean less safety for journalists covering conflict zones, especially given U.S. military involvement in places like Yemen.

Pete Hegseth to overhaul US military lawyers in effort to relax rules of war

The defense secretary has empowered his lawyer Tim Parlatore to remake the judge advocate general’s corps

theguardian.com

1- Two years ago, as an international student at a U.S. university, I wrote about how transnational repression from China, Russia, and Egypt had been threatening international students and academic freedom.

#Egypt: In a joint letter led by CPJ, 50 prominent human rights leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, writers, and public figures have called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to grant a presidential pardon to Egyptian-British writer Alaa Abdelfattah. cpj.org/2025/03/cpj-...

CPJ leads joint letter to Egyptian president urging release of writer Alaa Abdelfattah - Committee to Protect Journalists

In a joint letter led by the Committee to Protect Journalists, 50 prominent human rights leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, writers, and public figures have called on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-S...

cpj.org

As an Egyptian, I find it amusing to see the same rhetoric that Sisi has used in Egypt for the past decade—blaming citizens' inaction for economic problems—now being echoed in the U.S. Why don’t more Americans raise chickens in their backyards? Because most of them don’t even have backyards!!

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · last yr.

Trump’s Sec of Agriculture Brooke Rollins says the solution to high egg prices for Americans is to get some chickens and raise them in your backyard.

URGENT ⚡ ‘Risk to Life’ for Woman on Hunger Strike Over Son Jailed in Egypt #FreeAlaa #PressFreedom www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/w...

Mother on Hunger Strike to Free Alaa Abd El Fattah From Egyptian Jail at ‘Risk to Life’

Laila Soueif, the mother of Alaa Abd El Fattah, one of Egypt’s most prominent political prisoners, has fasted for 151 days as she seeks his release.

nytimes.com

Lapid's proposal to pay Egypt's foreign debt, $150B, in return for Egypt controlling Gaza, fails to understand that , regardless of incentives/pressure, Sisi cannot afford to lose a single Egyptian soldier in Gaza. This would spark dissent within Egypt’s military, threatening his power.

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. cpj.org/2025/02/egyp...

Egypt blocks independent media outlet Zawia3 over investigative reporting - Committee to Protect Journalists

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 ...

cpj.org

The impact of Trump’s aid freeze goes beyond what we see: in many authoritarian countries, receiving foreign funding is illegal and punished by the state. Human Rights organizations and media outlets have been severely affected but are unable to speak out due to fears of government repression.

Egypt must stand against Trump's plan. While US economic aid to Egypt is under $130M, its $1.3B security assistance goes entirely to US arms manufacturers, primarily benefiting the US economy. Meanwhile, Egypt has been working for a decade to diversify its arms sales.

CPJ welcomes the re-establishment of the Egypt Human Rights Caucus and urges the U.S. Congress to prioritize addressing the escalating press freedom crisis in Egypt worldwide, as said Mohamed Mandour, Committee to Protect Journalists. beyer.house.gov/news/documen...

Beyer & DelBene Announce Re-Establishment Of Egypt Human Rights Caucus

beyer.house.gov

If the Democratic administration had not allowed Palestinians to be killed daily in Gaza for almost 15 months, Trump would not have been able to propose displacing Palestinians as a 'better' option. Trump is turning Biden's inaction into an action plan.

1- Of course, this will have many implications, including a surge in the surveillance industry. Many existing spyware companies were founded by former Mossad officers, while the UAE’s spyware capabilities were developed by former U.S. intelligence operatives. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

CIA reportedly offers buyouts to entire workforce in latest Trump-era purge

The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts on Tuesday, citing aim to bring agency in line with Trump priorities, US media report

theguardian.com

Egypt should allow international journalists into Gaza. If Israel is blocking them to cover up its crimes, Egypt must not be complicit. Press access is crucial to counter Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians—something Egypt needs now more than ever. www.dropsitenews.com/p/over-100-j...

Over 100 journalists sign letter requesting Egyptian authorities to allow access to Gaza through Rafah crossing

While Palestinian journalists have been killed in record numbers, Israel and Egypt have barred international journalists from accessing Gaza

dropsitenews.com

Americans now, more than ever, need to learn from activists and human rights movements in authoritarian contexts. Having witnessed both a military coup in Egypt and a presidential coup in Tunisia, I see striking similarities between those coups and what is happening now in the U.S.

Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt—yet Egypt continues to receive its full amount of U.S. security assistance. apnews.com/article/bob-...

Ex-New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery conviction

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for his conviction for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt, crimes his own lawyer said earned him t...

apnews.com

The events of the past year underscore the urgent need for an unprecedented intellectual and institutional effort to decolonize journalism. Western journalism has often failed the Middle East—sometimes through its very existence, other times through its deliberate silence.

On International Human Rights Day, I will be speaking at an event addressing the question: "Where does Saudi Arabia stand on human rights issues?" Fortunately—or unfortunately—we already know the answer. I will focus on press freedom and the journalists behind bars.

I can’t get over the sight of people breaking open prison cells to free the innocent, or exiles returning home after more than a decade. It’s possible—Syrians have shown us it can happen. If it’s possible for them, could it one day be possible for Egyptians too?

From last week, my essay on U.S.-Egypt relations, which are broadly improved on a host of pressing diplomatic matters despite the war in Gaza. Cooperation welcome, but shouldn't obscure continuing political and economic deficiencies of Egypt's governing model. www.foreignaffairs.com/egypt/does-a...

Does America Still Need Egypt?

When war broke out in Gaza, Biden reconciled with Sisi—but Trump’s calculus might differ.

foreignaffairs.com

1- In my piece for @newlinesmag.bsky.social, I warned about Netanyahu's government attacks on press freedom in Israel, including sanctions on @haaretzcom.bsky.social , and how he's using public media privatization as a tool to tighten his grip on the media. newlinesmag.com/argument/as-...

As the War in Gaza Rages, Netanyahu Tightens His Grip on the Media

The Israeli right-wing government’s history of stifling dissent has intensified during the conflict

newlinesmag.com