A court in Egypt issued an order on Tuesday to shut down the independent news site Mada Masr. This ruling came after the conviction of Lina Attalah, the site's editor, for operating without a license.
Heavy Conviction and Fine
Attalah, one of Egypt's prominent journalists, was detained for several hours after the ruling and was released after paying a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds (approximately $53,400). This fine was the maximum penalty for this offense. The court also ordered the closure of the site and the confiscation of its equipment.
Mada Masr and Legal Challenges
Mada Masr, founded in 2013, is one of the few remaining independent media outlets in Egypt and is known for investigating corruption, human rights violations, and the powerful role of the military in the country. Attalah's lawyers stated that the court rejected their requests to review the case and present additional evidence.
Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, who was present at the court session, said that the judge appointed a new lawyer to represent Attalah, despite objections from her defense team. The judge also registered requests on behalf of the new lawyer while he had not yet said anything.
The court ruling was met with protests from the defense team, after which security officers detained Attalah. She was released after the fine was paid by Mada Masr, and her lawyer, Hassan Al-Azhari, confirmed this. The media outlet intends to appeal the closure order.
During the release process, Attalah also learned that she had been sentenced in absentia to one year in prison in a separate case. This conviction relates to charges of disseminating false news and operating as an unauthorized website. Her lawyers have appealed this ruling, and a new session is scheduled for November 11.
In recent years, Mada Masr has faced multiple legal challenges from Egyptian authorities, and since 2017, access to its website has been blocked within the country. The media outlet has stated that it applied for a license in 2018 but has yet to receive a response.
Egyptian authorities claim that the country respects freedom of expression but insist that media must comply with laws and protect national security. The court ruling has been heavily criticized internationally.
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