Egyptian police arrested six journalists from a fact-checking and investigative media outlet, accusing them of spreading misinformation on behalf of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, which the publication denied.

The arrests comprised the entire newsroom of Matsaddash, a digital platform that has operated since 2018, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which is providing the journalists with legal representation.

According to the EIPR, plainclothes security personnel had started raiding the journalists’ homes on Monday evening and confiscated electronic devices.

In a statement disclosing the arrests, the interior ministry accused the site of being managed from abroad as “part of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood’s media apparatus” with the help of Brotherhood “elements” inside the country.

Matsaddash denied that it was affiliated with the Brotherhood. In a statement, it pointed to reports that it had issued corrections to what it described as misinformation published by Brotherhood-affiliated media outlets.

Muslim Brotherhood banned after 2013 coup

Egypt banned the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2013, the year the army overthrew President Mohamed Mursi, a Brotherhood member who was democratically elected.

Egyptian journalists and activists have frequently been arrested on charges of spreading false news and rumors, and many independent outlets say they struggle to operate under restrictive conditions.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 19 journalists are currently detained in Egypt.

Egypt’s State Information Service, which liaises with foreign media on behalf of state agencies, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.