Egyptian prosecutors say they have ordered a prominent activist and blogger known for criticizing the government detained for 15 days pending an investigation, the latest episode in Egypt's media crackdown.

The Supreme State Security Prosecution said Thursday that Wael Abbas is suspected of disseminating false news and joining an outlawed group.

Police arrested Abbas on Wednesday after raiding his house in a Cairo suburb.

Abbas has campaigned against torture in Egypt for well over a decade, before and after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt has arrested a number of activists since President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi won re-election in March facing no serious challengers.

The latest arrests come amid a wider crackdown on dissent in which thousands of people have been jailed.