A Cairo court convicted Lina Attalah of managing an unlicensed website
An Egyptian court convicted Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of independent outlet Mada Masr, of managing an unlicensed website, fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds and ordered the site closed and its equipment confiscated. Attalah was detained and released after Mada Masr paid the fine. Her lawyers said they would appeal; Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling.
More context
A Cairo court has convicted Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent news outlet Mada Masr, of managing an unlicensed website and ordered the site closed. She spent about seven hours in custody before being freed once the outlet paid the penalty. Her legal team said it would challenge the conviction. Her lawyer Hassan al-Azhari said the legal team learned during her release that Attalah had been sentenced in absentia in 2024 to a year in prison and fined $357. A new hearing was scheduled for November 11. Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling and closure.
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Reporting
- The Guardian — Egypt fines prominent editor Lina Attalah and shuts independent news outlet Mada Masr
- The Jerusalem Post — Egypt orders closure of independent news outlet Mada Masr, fines editor | The Jerusalem Post
- United Press International — Egyptian court orders shutdown of news website, detains its editor - UPI.com
- fidh.org — Egypt: Organisations condemn Mada Masr shutdown and stand with editor-in-chief Lina Attalah
- okayafrica.com — Egypt convicts Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah; Tanzania finds natural gas
- timep.org — Organizations Condemn Mada Masr Shutdown, Stand With Editor-in-Chief Lina Attalah - The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
- cpj.org — CPJ, partners condemn Egyptian authorities’ shutdown of Mada Masr, stand with editor-in-chief Lina Attalah
Verifier’s note
The Guardian, The Jerusalem Post, UPI, and OkayAfrica report that a Cairo court fined Lina Attalah and ordered Mada Masr shut; FIDH, the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, and CPJ also report the court action in condemnation statements. These reports are dated October 28, 2026, consistent with the proposed event’s timing.