The United States is criticizing Egypt for stifling freedom of speech after a prominent comedian became the latest figure to turn himself in for government questioning. Bassem Youssef was released on bail Sunday a day after the prosecutor general issued a warrant for his arrest on accusations of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. The move came after arrest warrants were issued last week for five opposition activists, including blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah. On Monday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland condemned what she termed “a disturbing trend of growing restrictions on the freedom of expression.”

Victoria Nuland: “As I said last Thursday, we’re also concerned that the government of Egypt seems to be investigating these cases, while it has been slow or inadequate in investigating attacks on demonstrators outside of the presidential palace in December 2012, other cases of extreme police brutality, and illegally blocked entry of journalists to Media City. So there does not seem to be an evenhanded application of justice here.”

Egypt’s prosecutor has reportedly launched a new investigation of Bassem Youssef after a recent episode of his TV show, which has been compared to U.S. satirist Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show.” Youssef tweeted late Monday, “A new investigation against me is to be started because of last episode. Accusations include spreading rumors and disturbing the 'Peace.'”