Rights group: Egyptian activists targeted in phishing scams

CAIRO (AP) — Dozens of Egyptian activists, rights defenders and journalists have been targeted by digital phishing attacks in the last two months, likely by their own government, an international rights group said Wednesday.

Amnesty International said it analyzed dozens of suspicious emails and the attacks appear "to be part of a sustained campaign to intimidate and silence critics" of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government.

The London-based group said the phishing attacks spiked during key political moments, such as the run-up to the January anniversary of Egypt's 2011 uprising against autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, and a visit later that month by French President Emmanuel Macron.