Egyptian court orders closure of independent news outlet Mada Masr

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 28 Oct, 14:39 · Archive

An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of Mada Masr, a leading independent news outlet, and fined its editor-in-chief Lina Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds.

An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the closure of Mada Masr, one of Egypt's few remaining independent news outlets, after convicting its editor-in-chief Lina Attalah of operating without a licence. The New Cairo Misdemeanours Court imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,400), the maximum possible penalty for the charge, and ordered the confiscation of the outlet's equipment and devices. Attalah was detained following the verdict but released several hours later after Mada Masr paid the fine in full.

During her release procedures, Attalah learned she had been sentenced in absentia in 2024 to one year in prison on charges of publishing false news and running an unlicensed website. Her lawyers have challenged that conviction, with a retrial hearing scheduled for November 11. Mada Masr said it had applied for a licence to operate three years ago and received no reply from Egyptian authorities.

According to accounts from those present at the hearing, the court rejected defence requests to review the case file and submit additional evidence. Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, told news agencies that the judge appointed a court-appointed lawyer to represent Attalah despite objections from her eight-person defence team. The judge then dictated motions on behalf of this lawyer before issuing the maximum penalty verdict with no review and no adequate defence.

Mada Masr published an editorial saying it had entered court "with a measure of faith in the law and the justice system" but found that faith destroyed by the proceedings. The outlet said the judge wrote the appointed lawyer's requests himself before issuing the verdict. Attalah's lawyer Hassan al-Azhari confirmed she was released after the fine was paid.

The verdict prompted international condemnation. Amnesty International called it "a crushing blow to press freedom", while the Committee to Protect Journalists noted that Mada Masr, founded in 2013, is a vital source of critical reporting in Egypt and has long faced pressure from authorities. The closure comes weeks after six journalists working for independent fact-checking platform Matsda2sh were charged with belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt is among the world's top jailers of journalists, with 25 currently behind bars according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

How it is being reported

• Egypt fines prominent editor Lina Attalah and shuts independent news outlet Mada MasrWarnings of escalating clampdown on press freedom come after Cairo court convicts Attalah of managing an unlicensed website Lina Attalah, a prominent Egyptian journalist and the editor-in-chief of the news outlet Mada Masr, has been released from detention by Egypt’s authorities and had her website ordered to be shut down by a court amid an intensifying crackdown on independent media in the country. Attalah was taken briefly into custody after a Cairo court convicted her of managing an unlicensed website, prompting fresh international concerns over press freedom in Egypt. Continue reading...The Guardian · 28 Oct, 14:16
• Egypt orders closure of independent news site Mada MasrEditor-in-chief Lina Attalah was briefly detained and fined over licensing violations. Rights groups condemned the ruling as a major blow to press freedom in Egypt, where independent media face growing pressure.DW News · 27 Oct, 23:16
• Egypt orders closure of leading independent news site Mada MasrEditor Lina Attalah was freed once a $53,400 fine was paid, only to learn of a one-year sentence passed in her absence.Al Jazeera · 27 Oct, 20:35
• Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah detained after court orders news site's closureAmnesty International said the verdict against Attalah and independent outlet Mada Masr represented "a crushing blow to press freedom".BBC World · 27 Oct, 16:11

In this story: Lina Attalah · Mada Masr · Egypt · Amnesty International · Committee to Protect Journalists · Hossam Bahgat · Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights · Matsda2sh

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log