'Disgraceful': Egypt jails activist Douma after article on its prisons

An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist and poet Ahmed Douma to one year of prison with labor for 'spreading fake news' after he published an article on prison conditions in Egypt in the pan-Arab outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Douma had been freed in August 2023 after nearly 10 years behind bars but was rearrested in April 2026. Amnesty International condemned the sentencing as a 'devastating assault on the right to freedom of expression,' while PEN America called it 'disgraceful,' highlighting an escalating crackdown on writers in Egypt.