Egypt convicts Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah

The New Cairo Misdemeanor Court has convicted Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian news outlet Mada Masr, of managing an unlicensed website. The court imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds, approximately US$54,000, and ordered the closure of the website along with the confiscation of its equipment.

During her release following the ruling, Attalah discovered an in absentia conviction from 2024 that had sentenced her to one year in prison for disseminating false news and operating without a license. Her legal team has filed an objection to that judgment, with a hearing scheduled for November 11.

A coalition of 130 international organizations has condemned the conviction, alleging serious violations of fair trial guarantees. The organizations noted that the court appointed a lawyer for Attalah despite her having an eight-member legal team present and cited restrictions on the defense’s ability to review case files. This legal action follows the recent arrest of several journalists from the investigative platform Matsadaash.