Egypt releases prominent journalist from custody

Egyptian officials released prominent journalist Lina Attalah from custody on Tuesday, following her detention and a court order to shut down her website Mada Masr, her lawyer told AFP. Attalah, one of Egypt's most prominent journalists, was fined three million Egyptian pounds (approximately US$53,400) for operating the site without a license and ordered its closure.

Her lawyer, Hassan al-Azhari, explained that the fine was paid, and Attalah had also been sentenced in absentia to a year in prison and a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds. Attalah's defense team has appealed the prison sentence, with a new court hearing scheduled for November 11. The arrest and detention of Attalah, along with a fact-checking newsroom, have sparked condemnation from rights groups, who view it as part of Egypt's escalating crackdown on press freedom.

Egypt currently holds 26 journalists in connection with their work, according to the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR).