Egypt orders closure of independent news site Mada Masr

Attalah, one of Egypt's most prominent journalists, was detained for several hours following the verdict before being released after paying a fine. 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.

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.

Court proceedings

Attalah's lawyers said the court rejected their requests to review the case file and submit additional evidence during Tuesday's hearing in Cairo. 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.

The judge announced the verdict amid protests from the defense before security officers detained Attalah. She was released after Mada Masr paid the fine, her lawyer Hassan al-Azhari confirmed. The outlet plans to appeal the closure order.

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. 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.

Legal battles

Mada Masr has faced years of legal battles with Egyptian authorities, who have blocked access to its website inside the country since 2017. 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.

Mada Masr challenged that decision and says its latest application has been awaiting a response since 2023. 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.

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.

International reaction

The ruling drew widespread international condemnation. 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.

Amnesty International stated: Today's decision represents a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt and marks a dark day for independent journalism in the country. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called the ruling outrageous and shameful. Sara Qudah, CPJ regional director, warned: 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.

US Senator Chris Van Hollen also criticized the prosecution, describing the charges as baseless and saying that journalism is not a crime.

Broader crackdown

The case comes amid a broader crackdown on independent journalism. Six journalists from the fact-checking platform Matsadaash were arrested in September and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offenses. Authorities accuse them of links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false information to undermine confidence in state institutions and encourage protests.

The journalists have reported being tortured following their arrests, according to EIPR. Egypt's Interior Ministry has denied the allegations. On Tuesday, prosecutors extended their pretrial detention by another 15 days. Rights groups warn that such detention can continue for months or even years. According to EIPR, Egypt currently holds 26 journalists in connection with their work.