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Veteran Egyptian Journalist Khaled El-Balshy Summoned for Questioning Over Election Coverage

Veteran Egyptian journalist Khaled El-Balshy has been summoned for questioning by the prosecutor’s office next week for allegedly promoting fake news. Balshy, the editor-in-chief of the Darb news website, has been accused of questioning the integrity of the country’s 2020 parliamentary elections and of urging citizens to not vote, in his coverage of the country’s last parliamentary elections.  At least nine complaints were filed against Balshy with the prosecutor by citizens that he does not know, citing his reporting, he told The New Arab. The reports, which are just surfacing now, are reported to have been filed in November 2020. The questioning is scheduled to begin on January 4, 2022, The New Arab reported. Balshy has been an editor at several online news outlets, all of which have been shut down by Egyptian authorities. His Darb news website is blocked in Egypt. In the wake of news of the impending interrogation, the hashtag “support Khaled El-Balshy” has been spreading on social media. Balshy is the former head of the freedoms committee at the Egyptian press syndicate.