Egyptian police and prosecutors are engaged in a widening crackdown targeting independent journalists.

• Between 28 and 30 September, six journalists from investigative website Matsada2sh ("Don't Believe It!) were abducted by the security services, tortured and then dragged before prosecutors accused of "terrorism"
• On 5 October, journalist Rasha Azab was summoned for police questioning and faces charges of "using a website to promote ideas calling for the commission of terrorist crimes"
• On 19 October, Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of independent news website Mada Masr was summoned for police questioning on 21 October. This is the sixth time in six years that Mada Masr has faced criminal case launched by the state.

Journalists inside Egypt are risking brutal retaliation from the authorities for their reporting, and for standing up their colleagues. The Egyptian Journalists' Union has condemned the crackdown and there are daily sit-ins at the union's headquarters organised by union activists raising the slogan "journalism is not a crime"

Use this template to help put pressure on the Egyptian authorities to stop their harassment of journalists - send emails to the Public Prosecutor and copies to the Egyptian Embassy in London.