Egypt orders closure of independent news site Mada Masr
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Editor-in-chief Lina Attalah was briefly detained and fined over licensing violations. Rights groups condemned the ruling as a major blow to press freedom in Egypt, where independent media face growing pressure.
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An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the closure of independent news website Mada Masr after convicting its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, of operating without a license.
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Attalah, one of Egypt's most prominent journalists, was detained for several hours following the verdict before being released after paying a fine.
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The court imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds (around $53,400; €48,112), the maximum penalty for the offense. It also ordered the website to shut down and its equipment to be confiscated.
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Mada Masr, founded in 2013, is one of Egypt's few remaining independent news outlets. It is known for investigating corruption, human rights violations and the military's powerful role in the country.
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Attalah's lawyers said the court rejected their requests to review the case file and submit additional evidence during Tuesday's hearing in Cairo.
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According to Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), who attended the hearing, the judge then appointed a new lawyer to represent Attalah despite objections from her eight-person defense team.
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"In an even more shocking turn, the judge proceeded to dictate motions on behalf of this lawyer, who had not uttered a single word, and entered them into the official record," Bahgat told news agency AFP.
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The judge announced the verdict amid protests from the defense before security officers detained Attalah.
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She was released after Mada Masr paid the fine, her lawyer Hassan al-Azhari confirmed. The outlet plans to appeal the closure order.
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During her release procedures, Attalah also learned that she had been sentenced in absentia in a separate case in 2024 to one year in prison and a fine of 20,000 Egyptian pounds.
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That conviction concerned charges of spreading false news and operating an unlicensed website. Her lawyers have challenged the ruling, with a new hearing scheduled for November 11.
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Mada Masr has faced years of legal battles with Egyptian authorities, who have blocked access to its website inside the country since 2017.
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The outlet says it first applied for a license in 2018 but received no response. It only learned that its application had been rejected when prosecutors raised the issue during another case in 2022.
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Mada Masr challenged that decision and says its latest application has been awaiting a response since 2023.
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Six cases have been brought against the outlet and its journalists over the past six years, but Tuesday's trial was the first of its kind.
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Egyptian authorities maintain that the country respects freedom of expression but insist that media organizations must comply with the law, protect national security and counter misinformation.
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The ruling drew widespread international condemnation.
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A coalition of 119 rights organizations and media outlets, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), described the prosecution as an "unprecedented attack on press freedom."
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"Today's decision represents a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt and marks a dark day for independent journalism in the country," Amnesty International said.
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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called the ruling "outrageous" and "shameful."
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"If Egypt can put in custody one of its most respected editors and shut down her newsroom, no independent journalist in the country is safe," said CPJ regional director Sara Qudah.
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US Senator Chris Van Hollen also criticized the prosecution, describing the charges as baseless and saying that "journalism is not a crime."
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The case comes amid a broader crackdown on independent journalism.
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Six journalists from the fact-checking platform Matsadaash were arrested in September and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offenses.
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Authorities accuse them of links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false information to undermine confidence in state institutions and encourage protests.
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The journalists have reported being tortured following their arrests, according to EIPR. Egypt's Interior Ministry has denied the allegations.
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On Tuesday, prosecutors extended their pretrial detention by another 15 days. Rights groups warn that such detention can continue for months or even years.
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According to EIPR, Egypt currently holds 26 journalists in connection with their work.
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