Egypt Orders Closure of Independent News Outlet Mada Masr as Press Freedom Groups Condemn Ruling

An Egyptian court has ordered the closure of Mada Masr, one of the country's most prominent independent news organisations, and fined its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, three million Egyptian pounds, in a ruling condemned by international press freedom groups.

The decision, issued by the New Cairo Misdemeanour Court on Tuesday, October 27, convicted Attalah of managing an online publication without the required licence.

The court also ordered the confiscation of the outlet's equipment.

Attalah was taken into custody after the ruling and subsequently released when the fine, equivalent to approximately $53,400, was paid.

The case has attracted international attention because Mada Masr is among Egypt's few remaining prominent independent newsrooms and is widely recognised for investigations into government affairs, human rights and other politically sensitive subjects.

On Wednesday, October 28, the Committee to Protect Journalists and 129 other organisations issued a joint condemnation of the conviction and closure order.

The organisations called on Egyptian authorities to allow Mada Masr to operate freely and end the use of media licensing requirements to prosecute journalists.

The ruling represents a major escalation in a longstanding dispute between the publication and Egyptian regulators.

Founded in 2013, Mada Masr has operated in an increasingly restrictive environment. Its website has been blocked within Egypt since 2017, although the organisation has continued publishing.

The outlet says it submitted applications for an operating licence on multiple occasions but did not receive a satisfactory response.

According to its lawyers, the publication's attempts to comply with licensing requirements were central to the defence.

Attalah's legal representatives also alleged serious procedural problems during Tuesday's hearing.

They said the court rejected requests to review case documents, submit additional evidence and present arguments.

The lawyers further alleged that the court appointed another lawyer to represent Attalah despite her objections and the presence of her chosen defence team.

These are allegations concerning the conduct of the proceedings, rather than independently established findings of judicial misconduct.

Egyptian authorities maintain that media organisations must comply with national laws and licensing requirements.

The ruling remains subject to appeal.

The case has also raised concerns about Attalah's legal position beyond the latest conviction.

During the procedures surrounding her release, she was informed of a separate one-year prison sentence issued in her absence in 2024, relating to allegations of spreading false information and operating an unlicensed website.

Her lawyers have challenged that earlier judgment, with a hearing scheduled for November 11.

The existence of that separate case does not mean she has been newly sentenced to an additional year in prison by the court that ruled on October 27.

The wider implications extend beyond Mada Masr.

In September, Egyptian security forces arrested journalists working for the investigative and fact-checking outlet Matsadaash.

Those arrests have drawn criticism from media freedom organisations, which argue that the increasing use of criminal proceedings against journalists threatens independent reporting.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that at least 25 journalists were imprisoned in Egypt as of late October.

The International Federation of Journalists has separately condemned the Mada Masr decision and urged authorities to drop the charges against Attalah.

Press freedom organisations argue that the ruling risks leaving Egyptian audiences with fewer independent sources of reporting on public affairs.

For Mada Masr, the immediate challenge is whether its legal representatives can overturn the closure order and secure the outlet's ability to continue operating.

For Egyptian authorities, the case is likely to attract continued scrutiny over the application of media regulation and the treatment of journalists.

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate has also indicated that it will pursue legal steps challenging the decision.

The confirmed developments are the court's conviction of Attalah, the three-million-pound fine, the closure and confiscation orders, and her release after payment.

The final outcome of any appeal, the practical enforcement of the closure and the separate legal proceedings remain unresolved.

The dispute has become a significant test of the space available for independent journalism in Egypt, with international organisations urging the authorities to reverse the decision.