Researching State Crime

This chapter proposes a methodological framework for investigating state crime under conditions of authoritarian repression and narrative control. Using the Mosireen Collective&s;s digital archive as a case study, it explores how activist media challenges official narratives and reclaims contested memory. In environments where the state conceals violence and criminalises dissent, conventional fieldwork can endanger both researchers and participants. The chapter outlines an ethical, non-intrusive approach informed by multi-sited digital ethnography, framing theory and visual content analysis. It reflects on the aftermath of Giulio Regeni&s;s murder as a turning point for research ethics in Egypt, calling for methods that show solidarity with those resisting repression while recognising its risks. Mosireen&s;s archive is framed as an active site of witnessing, resistance and knowledge production. This orientation provides a foundation for analysing Mosireen&s;s audiovisual output and contributes to wider debates on how state crime can be researched and contested.