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An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of Mada Masr, one of the country’s last prominent independent news outlets, and fined its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, three million Egyptian pounds ($53,400) for running a website without a licence.
Court Proceedings and Verdict
The New Cairo Misdemeanour Court also ordered the confiscation of the outlet’s equipment and devices. Attalah was taken into custody after Tuesday’s ruling and was released several hours later after Mada Masr paid the fine in full.
During the release procedures, Attalah learned that she had been sentenced in absentia in 2024 to one year in prison on charges of publishing false news and running an unlicensed website. Mada Masr stated that Attalah’s lawyers have challenged that ruling, and a retrial hearing is scheduled for November 11.
In an editorial published hours after the verdict, Mada Masr reported that it had entered court with some faith in the justice system, but found none of that faith intact afterward. The outlet stated that the court refused its lawyers’ requests to review the case file, submit additional evidence, and call witnesses.
According to Mada Masr, the judge appointed an unknown party to act as Attalah’s defence lawyer, despite eight of her own lawyers being present and Attalah objecting. The editorial noted that the judge wrote that lawyer’s requests himself before issuing the maximum penalty without review or defence.
Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, attended the hearing. As reported by Mada Masr, he stated that the court proceeded with the appointment despite Attalah’s objection. Mada Masr’s lawyer, Hassan al-Azhari, told the Egyptian outlet Zawia3 that the court rejected the defence’s requests before taking that disputed step.
Licensing Dispute and Legal Framework
Tuesday’s ruling relies on Article 105 of Egypt’s 2018 media law, which establishes fines ranging from one to three million Egyptian pounds ($17,800–$53,400), along with closure and confiscation, for operating an unlicensed website.
Mada Masr explained that it applied for a licence from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation in 2018 and again in 2020 without receiving a reply. The outlet noted it only learned of a rejection when prosecutors raised the issue during a 2022 case. An administrative court upheld the refusal in 2023, citing a lack of proof that the outlet’s trademark was registered, although Mada Masr’s lawyer stated he had submitted a trademark registration certificate. A new application has remained pending since June 2023.
There was no immediate official comment on the verdict.
Reactions and Broader Crackdown
The head of the Journalists’ Syndicate, Khaled el-Balshy, announced that the union would take legal action to appeal the ruling.
Founded in 2013, Mada Masr has been blocked inside Egypt since 2017. The outlet reported facing six cases in six years, with rights groups noting this is the first to reach trial.
Amnesty International’s senior director for regional impact, Yasmine Ahmed, stated in a release that the decision is a crushing blow to press freedom and a dark day for independent journalism in Egypt, describing the ruling as the culmination of years of relentless harassment and unjust proceedings.
The verdict coincided with a decision by Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution to renew the detention of six journalists from the fact-checking platform Matsadaash for an additional 15 days.
