Egypt court orders Mada Masr closed, fines editor 3 million pounds
Why it matters: The ruling hit one of Egypt’s last prominent independent outlets, with a separate retrial for Lina Attalah set for Nov. 11.
An Egyptian court convicted Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah of operating the independent news site without a license, ordered the outlet shut down and imposed a 3 million Egyptian pound fine. Attalah was held for about five hours and released after the fine was paid, according to the outlet and her lawyers. The New Cairo Misdemeanours Court also ordered the site’s equipment confiscated, Mada Masr said. The outlet has been blocked inside Egypt since 2017 and says it repeatedly sought a license from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation after a 2018 media law. Rights groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the case as a major blow to press freedom.