Egypt: a humorist and content creator stopped in a new wave of digital repression

The Egyptian humorist and content creator Mohamed Abdelaty Taha was arrested this week, as part of a new wave of repression aimed at influencers on Tiktok and social networks. This Powerlifter followed by more than 600,000 subscribers on Instagram is accused of “infringing the values of the company” and disseminating content deemed “indecent”.

His arrest follows several complaints filed by lawyers, invoking an attack on “social standards”. Known for his humorous videos and his podcast on social subjects, Taha was to perform on stage in London on September 21. In a recent episode, he also expressed his concern for another content designer, Suzy El-Ordoneya (Mariam), also arrested after his participation in the show.

On the networks, the reaction is immediate: “enough with these accusations of morality”, writes a surfer, while another denounces an absurd repression: “never heard a moved word from him. This arrest is added to a series of arrests in recent days of young men and active women on Tiktok, Facebook or YouTube, accused of “raping family values”. NGOs denounce a recurring strategy of judicial harassment, particularly against women and marginalized profiles, on the pretext of defending public morality.