Egypt arrests dozens over opposition group on Discord

Egyptian security forces have detained dozens of people in recent weeks for participating in an opposition group on the Discord communication platform, according to lawyer Shorouk Salam. The Supreme State Security Prosecution has charged the detainees with "joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media."

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The Supreme State Security Prosecution charged them with 'joining a terrorist group, spreading false news, and misusing social media.'

Salam, who heads the legal unit at the Egyptian Front for Human Rights, stated that arrests began late last year but intensified in mid-May, bringing the total number of detainees to 60. The individuals were reportedly members of a Discord group called "Generation Z," founded by an exiled Egyptian activist named Anas Habib. The group aimed to encourage Egyptians to express opposition to the government through individual actions like graffiti or distributing leaflets, and also organized an online poll titled "Popular Referendum to Remove (President Abdel Fattah) el-Sisi."

Despite using pseudonyms and fake accounts on Discord, believing it would offer protection, security forces were able to identify and arrest many members after apprehending one individual and searching his mobile phone. Discord is popular among young users globally as an alternative to platforms like Facebook and X, and has played a role in protests in countries such as Nepal and Morocco. The app has faced bans in several countries, including Iran, the UAE, Oman, North Korea, and China, and has been previously blocked in Egypt.

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Arrests of some individuals began at the end of last year; however, the pace increased since mid-May, and the number of detainees has reached 60 since then.

Egyptian authorities face ongoing domestic and international criticism for human rights violations and restrictions on freedom of expression. This includes a wide-ranging campaign against online content creators, leading to the imprisonment of young influencers, comedians, and commentators. Human rights organizations claim Egypt holds a large number of dissidents and political prisoners, a charge the authorities deny, asserting that detainees are held for criminal reasons.

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Although they participated in the group using fake names and false accounts, thinking that it would protect them, security forces were able to reach a large number of them immediately after arresting one of the members and searching his mobile phone.