ISTANBUL

Independent media outlet Mada Masr said four journalists held by Egyptian security forces in a raid on their office in Cairo have been released.

"Security forces detained three Mada Masr journalists during an afternoon raid on the paper's offices in Cairo today, before releasing them several hours later," it said on Twitter on Sunday.

The media outlet said another editor, who was arrested in a raid on his home on Friday, was also released.

It remains unclear why the four journalists had been released, and Egyptian authorities did not issue any official statements on the arrests.

Notably, the media outlet's website is blocked in Egypt.

Local and international organizations, including Amnesty International, have criticized the detention of the four journalists and called for their immediate release.

Egypt is ranked 163rd out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders 2019 Press Freedom Index, falling two places from 2018.