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Two ARIJ investigations have been recognized in the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) 2025 Editors’ Pick for top investigative stories from the Middle East and North Africa.
The first recognized investigation, “Unlicensed Addiction Treatment Centers in Egypt,” by journalist Aly Shaban Elsotohy, reveals that numerous unlicensed facilities across Egypt operate under the guise of being legitimate substance abuse rehabilitation centers, while using deception to target vulnerable patients and their desperate families. These facilities function without medical or legal oversight and are often run by former addicts and informal networks that rely on coercion and force to confine individuals, masking abusive practices behind false promises of recovery.
The second recognized piece, “The Human Trap: Sudanese Refugees Caught Between War and Gangs at Egypt’s Border,” is a cross-border investigation conducted by journalists Salma Abdul Aziz and Ihab Zidan, which identifies the types of violations committed against Sudanese refugees during their journey to Egypt, as a result of their entry into Egyptian territory via irregular channels. This process was based on interviews conducted with seven people, who were subjected to rape, as well as five others who were subjected to sexual harassment. There were also 11 cases of robbery or abduction for ransom, in addition to a survey of 324 Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
This year, the GIJN Arabic team has compiled a curated list of the strongest investigative stories published in 2025. These investigations represent a sample of the broader body of work produced by the investigative journalism community across the Middle East and North Africa, demonstrating the continued power and relevance of accountability reporting despite increasingly hostile conditions.
