Cairo court convicts Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah, fines outlet and orders closure

A misdemeanor court in Cairo on Tuesday convicted Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian outlet Mada Masr, on a charge of operating an unlicensed website, in a sharp escalation against one of the country’s best-known remaining independent news organizations. The New Cairo Misdemeanours Court imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds — the maximum allowed under the law, according to Amnesty International — ordered Mada Masr shut down and the equipment or property used in the alleged offense confiscated, and had Attalah taken into police custody pending payment of the fine, Amnesty and Mada Masr said.

The case stems from Egypt’s 2018 Press and Media Regulation Law, which requires websites operating in Egypt to obtain a license from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, the state media regulator. Under Article 6, websites must be licensed, while Article 105 provides for fines ranging from 1 million to 3 million Egyptian pounds and authorizes closure and confiscation for violations. Amnesty said the 3 million-pound penalty was the maximum under the law, equal to about $54,467.

The ruling came after a rapid legal sequence over the past week. Mada Masr and Human Rights Watch said Attalah was questioned by the Supreme State Security Prosecution on Oct. 21 and released on bail of 100,000 Egyptian pounds, then referred to trial the next day. On Tuesday, Amnesty and Mada Masr said, the court convicted her after rejecting defense requests to adjourn the case, produce documents and summon witnesses, claims that rights groups cited as due-process concerns.

Founded in 2013, Mada Masr is widely regarded as one of the few remaining independent news outlets in Egypt. The outlet has long faced legal and regulatory pressure. It says it applied for a license in 2018 and again in 2020, but the applications were rejected or left unanswered, and rights groups say it was formally notified of a rejection in 2022. Its website has also been blocked inside Egypt.

Rights groups said the ruling marked a significant blow to independent journalism in Egypt. “Today’s decision represents a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt and marks a dark day for independent journalism in the country,” Yasmine Ahmed, Amnesty International’s senior director for regional impact, said in a statement. Bassam Khawaja, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Middle East and North Africa director, said: “The hasty prosecution of Lina Attalah marks another escalation in Egyptian authorities’ outrageous attack on independent media in the country. No journalist should face criminal prosecution for doing their job.”

The case is the latest use of licensing rules and related legal tools against independent journalism in Egypt, according to Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Reporters Without Borders ranked Egypt 169th out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index.