Egypt releases prominent journalist from custody

Egyptian authorities released independent journalist Lina Attalah from custody on Tuesday, hours after her detention and a court order to shut down her website, Mada Masr. According to the New Straits Times, Attalah's lawyer, Hassan al-Azhari, stated she was released after paying a fine of three million Egyptian pounds (approximately $53,400). This fine was issued for operating Mada Masr without a license, which Punch and Le Monde English also noted.

The New Straits Times reported that during the process, the defense discovered Attalah had been sentenced in absentia in 2024 to one year in prison and a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds. Her defense team has appealed that sentence, with a new court hearing scheduled for November 11. Mada Masr stated it has not received a response from authorities regarding its license application since 2023.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, New Straits Times, Le Monde English — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.