A Cairo court has ordered the shutdown of Mada Masr and fined its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, following her conviction for managing an unlicensed website, raising concerns over press freedom in Egypt.
Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, was briefly detained after being convicted of managing an unlicensed website. She was released after the outlet paid a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds, though she had previously been sentenced in absentia to a year in prison and a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds in 2024. Her legal team had appealed the earlier sentence, with a retrial scheduled for 11 November. Attalah founded Mada Masr in 2013 and has faced multiple arrests over the years. The news outlet had applied for a licence to operate three years ago but received no response from Egyptian authorities.
The closure of Mada Masr follows the arrest of six journalists from the independent factchecking platform Matsadaash, who were charged with ties to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Human rights groups have expressed concern over the escalation of restrictions on independent media in Egypt. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights warned that the crackdown signals a move from harassment to the potential elimination of independent media. International organisations, including Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, have condemned the court’s decision, calling it a significant blow to press freedom in the country.
Why it matters
The conviction and shutdown signal a tightening of restrictions on independent journalism in Egypt.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.
What to watch
Watch for the outcome of Attalah’s appeal and its impact on the future of Mada Masr.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.