In Egypt, three journalists from the independent news website Mada Masr are on trial, facing up to two years in prison and $10,000 fines for allegedly “misusing” social media and “offending” members of Parliament. Rana Mamdouh, Sara Seif Eddin and Beesan Kassab are being tried over an article last year about a government watchdog that uncovered “gross financial misconduct” among politicians. It’s the latest attack on Mada Masr by the government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, whom Amnesty International has accused of turning journalism into a crime.
Reporters Without Borders says 73 women journalists around the world are spending International Women’s Day behind bars.