In brief
The editor‑in‑chief of the independent Egyptian news site Mada Masr was taken into custody after a New Cairo court fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds and ordered the site shut down. The decision follows a long history of harassment and repeated licence refusals by the Supreme Media Regulatory Council. Press‑freedom groups, including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have condemned the ruling as a wrenching blow to independent journalism. The court’s actions have sparked outrage and calls for Attalah’s immediate release and for the watchdog of free media to remain open.
The editor‑in‑chief of the independent Egyptian news outlet Mada Masr was taken into custody after a New Cairo court convicted her of operating an unlicensed website, ordering the site shut down and imposing a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds (about $53,500).
Attalah’s lawyers say the ruling came after years of harassment and repeated attempts to secure a licence from the Supreme Media Regulatory Council, which had repeatedly rejected or ignored her applications.
Amnesty International blasted the verdict as "a crushing blow to press freedom" and the Committee to Protect Journalists noted that Egypt now has 25 journalists behind bars, underscoring a broader crackdown on dissent since President Abdel Fattah al‑Sisi’s takeover in 2013.
The judge’s decision to appoint a lawyer from the Lawyers' Syndicate without allowing Attalah to choose, and to record motions on her behalf, was described by the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights as "shocking" and an undue judicial overreach.
Both Amnesty and CPJ are urging the court to overturn the ruling and release Attalah, warning that shutting down one of the country’s last independent voices threatens the safety of all journalists in Egypt.
