Egypt orders closure of independent news site Mada Masr
Editor-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.
In Egypt, a court fined journalist Lina Attalah and ordered the closure of her independent news outlet, Mada Masr, for operating an unlicensed website. Lina was initially sentenced to a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,500; £40,100), which is the maximum penalty for the offense she was convicted of. Amnesty International condemned the verdict as a "crushing blow to press freedom" and highlighted it as part of a broader crackdown on dissent driven by President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi's military coup in 2013.
Egypt ranks among the top countries for imprisoning journalists, with 25 currently detained according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Mada Masr, established in 2013, has faced persistent pressure from authorities due to its critical reporting. The news outlet had been seeking a media license since 2018, but its applications were consistently rejected or left unanswered.
Lina Attalah has endured years of harassment and intimidation, including six criminal investigations over her reporting. She was released on bail after the court hearing but was later handed a one-year prison sentence in absentia for publishing false news and managing an unlicensed website. Lina's legal team is planning to contest the ruling at a retrial scheduled for November 11th.
Human rights groups have called for the immediate release of Lina and the allowance of Mada Masr to continue its reporting.
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