Youtuber detained for spreading fake news on Arish University student's death: Prosecution

CAIRO – 9 March 2024: The Public Prosecution has ordered the detention of a youtuber for investigation after allegedly sharing false information regarding the death of Arish University student Nayera Salah.

Nayera Salah, a 19-year-old veterinary medicine student, died late in February under circumstances reportedly believed to be suicide resulting from psychological pressures.

However, following claims on social media suggesting foul play, her body was exhumed on Saturday for a post-mortem examination.

Additionally, two of Nayera's colleagues, a man and a woman, were detained by the prosecution for allegedly threatening to expose personal information about her.

In a statement on Saturday, the prosecution revealed that the detained man, operating under the social media account "Mo Silva," falsely claimed that Nayera was blackmailed with indecent photos.

He accused those colleagues of poisoning and killing her. He further alleged that the college management refused to support Nayera when she reported being threatened.

The dissemination of this fake news was deemed a threat to public peace by the prosecution.

During the arrest and interrogation, the man confessed to publishing the news without verifying its authenticity, stating that he obtained it from other websites with the intention of gaining views, the prosecution says.

Last week, the prosecution stated that the two individuals in custody had allegedly sent threatening messages to Nayera, accompanied by demands, and are also facing charges related to violating her personal life.

According to the prosecution, the accused woman shared a conversation forwarded from Nayera's phone with the accused man. He then threatened to share the conversation and claimed to possess compromising photos of Nayera, intending to distribute them within their colleagues' Whatsapp group.

The prosecution's investigation revealed that Nayera had visited two pesticides stores before her death and purchased pesticide tablets, which had been widely speculated as the method of her alleged suicide.

However, the exact cause of her death is still under investigation.