Egyptian Court Orders Closure of Independent News Outlet Mada Masr

Legal Crackdown on Journalism

An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of the independent news outlet Mada Masr, citing the operation of a website without a government-issued license. The New Cairo Misdemeanour Court also imposed a three-million-Egyptian-pound fine ($53,400) on editor-in-chief Lina Attalah and ordered the confiscation of the outlet's technical equipment.

Attalah was briefly detained following the ruling. Mada Masr reports that the court appointed an unknown lawyer to represent her against her wishes, denying her own legal team the opportunity to present evidence.

Background and Impact

Mada Masr has faced years of legal challenges and censorship since its 2013 founding. The outlet claims it applied for a license multiple times since 2018 without response. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the verdict as a severe blow to press freedom. Readers can monitor developments through the outlet's official channels at https://www.aljazeera.com.