Egyptian Court Fines Mada Masr Editor Lina Attalah and Orders Site Closure
An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of the independent news outlet Mada Masr and imposed the maximum fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,500) on its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah. Attalah was convicted by the New Cairo Misdemeanours Court on charges of managing an unlicensed website, a charge she had rejected.
According to her legal team and Mada Masr, Attalah was detained for several hours following the court ruling on Tuesday. She was released in the evening after the media organisation paid the full 3 million Egyptian pound fine to the court.
Disputed Courtroom Proceedings and Defense Objections
Details regarding Tuesday's trial were shared by Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), an independent human rights organization. Bahgat stated that Judge Mohammed Mubarak ordered the courtroom cleared of all individuals except Attalah, her eight-person legal defense team, and Bahgat himself. Security personnel subsequently entered the room.
Bahgat told news agency AFP that the judge denied several procedural requests raised by the defense and unilaterally appointed a representative from the Lawyers' Syndicate to represent Attalah. Bahgat stated that the judge recorded in the official court minutes that a lawyer had been appointed, despite objections from Attalah herself, which the judge refused to log in the court record. The judge then dictated motions on behalf of the court-appointed lawyer without the attorney speaking, before issuing the fine and closure order amid protests from the defense team.
Additional Conviction and Retrial Hearing
During her release process on Tuesday evening, Attalah was informed of a separate one-year prison sentence that had been issued against her in absentia in 2024. That ruling also pertained to charges of publishing false news and operating an unlicensed website. Mada Masr confirmed that her defense lawyers have taken official steps to challenge that judgment, with a retrial hearing scheduled for November 11.
The current legal proceedings follow recent questioning by prosecutors after Attalah was summoned over allegations of managing an unlicensed site and disseminating false news. According to Mada Masr's lawyer, the investigation touched upon a recent report published by the site concerning prison protests in Egypt, as well as documentation from the Supreme Media Regulatory Council (SMRC) regarding the outlet's legal standing.
Regulatory Challenges and Rights Group Reactions
Mada Masr was established in 2013 and has been subject to ongoing official pressure. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the outlet has made repeated attempts to secure an operating license from the SMRC since new media legislation was enacted in 2018. However, its applications have consistently been rejected or left unanswered by regulatory authorities.
Rights monitoring groups issued strong statements condemning the ruling. Amnesty International described the verdict as a crushing blow to press freedom and a dark day for independent journalism in Egypt, noting that Attalah has experienced years of criminal investigations and harassment connected to her work. Yasmine Ahmed, senior director for regional impact at Amnesty International, called for the ruling to be overturned. CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah emphasized that the actions against Mada Masr and its editor reflect severe risks facing independent journalists across the country, demanding that the newsroom be allowed to continue reporting.
The action against Mada Masr occurs amid broader scrutiny of journalists in Egypt. CPJ data indicates that Egypt ranks among the leading jailers of journalists globally, with 25 journalists currently imprisoned. The press freedoms environment remains heavily constrained under President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, whose administration has overseen extensive detentions of political opponents, media workers, and activists following the 2013 military removal of former President Mohammed Morsi. Recently, six journalists associated with the independent fact-checking platform Matsda2sh were also charged with membership in the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
