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...

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.

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?

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

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-...

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!!

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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-...

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...

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-...

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-...

With news of Netanyahu govt’s sanctioning of one of the country’s longest-running newspapers, Ha’aretz, I’m boosting this piece by @mandour.bsky.social about how Netanyahu has sought to target press freedom and tighten his grip on Israel’s media newlinesmag.com/argument/as-...

CPJ is highly alarmed by widespread reports of a communications blackout in Gaza alongside intensified bombing and ground operations by Israeli forces. cpj.org/2023/10/cpj-...

Several media outlets have lost contact with their journalists in #Gaza, and many freelance #journalists have ceased reporting, due to the complete shutdown of the internet in #Gaza. This is a blatant attack on press freedom. The world deserves to be informed! #InternetForGaza

My feature with CPJ addresses the risks journalists covering the Israel-Gaza conflict face. Besides the 22 journalists killed since the conflict began, others have endured arrests, threats, censorship, and cyber attacks in Israel and the West Bank. cpj.org/2023/10/atta...

CPJ is investigating all reports of #Journalists killed, injured, detained, or missing in the #Israel-#Gaza conflict, including those hurt as hostilities spread to neighboring #Lebanon. In the first 12 days of the war, at least 21 journalists were killed. cpj.org/2023/10/jour...

CPJ urgently calls on Israel not to close #AlJazeera and to allow the media to report freely on news events in #Israel and #Gaza during the current conflict. cpj.org/2023/10/cpj-...

As of October 14, in the first eight days of the Israel-Gaza conflict, at least 12 #journalists were killed, two were missing, and eight were injured, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). cpj.org/2023/10/jour...

CPJ is investigating all reports of #Journalists killed, injured, detained, or missing in the #Israel-#Gaza conflict, including those hurt as hostilities spread to neighboring #Lebanon. In the first seven days of the war, at least 11 journalists were killed. cpj.org/2023/10/jour...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the Friday shelling in southern Lebanon that killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured at least four other journalists. cpj.org/2023/10/jour...

At least seven journalists were killed, two missing, two injured, and one detained since the Israel-Gaza conflict began. Check out the Committee to Protect Journalists's latest update on the situation. cpj.org/2023/10/jour...

In Addition to Journalist Mohammad El-Salhi, at Least Two #Palestinian Journalists Killed, One Injured, and Two Missing Since the Start of the Gaza-Israel conflict on Saturday. cpj.org/2023/10/2-pa...