Egyptian Court Orders Closure of Independent News Outlet Mada Masr

An Egyptian court has dealt a significant blow to press freedom in the country by ordering the closure of one of its last remaining independent news outlets, Mada Masr.

Mada Masr's editor-in-chief and founder, Lina Attalah, was convicted on charges of operating a website without a license. As a result, she was ordered to pay a substantial fine equivalent to approximately $53,400.

Following the conviction, the judge also ruled that Attalah be detained until the fine is paid in full. This decision has sparked widespread concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Egypt.

Mada Masr has been one of the few news outlets in Egypt that has courageously investigated high-profile corruption cases, the expanding influence of the country's military, and human rights abuses. These topics are often off-limits for mainstream media due to government control.

Ahead of Tuesday's hearing, Human Rights Watch had already condemned the prosecution of Attalah as a further escalation of an "outrageous attack on independent media."

The situation remains dire for Attalah, the editor of Mada Masr, as her whereabouts remain unknown despite the fine being paid in relation to the verdict issued by the Cairo misdemeanor court.

In a surprising turn of events during Tuesday's session at the Cairo court, the judge rejected all procedural requests made by the defense team and ordered them to give closing arguments immediately. According to Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the judge brought in a court-appointed lawyer who was unknown to Attalah's lawyers, over their loud objections.

Attalah herself also expressed her rejection of the appointed lawyer, but the judge declined to record this in the court proceedings. This move has been seen as an attempt by the authorities to bypass due process and silence Mada Masr once again.

The charges against Attalah include publishing false news and operating without a license. State security prosecutors had summoned her for questioning last week before referring her to trial on the latter charge.

Mada Masr's website was blocked inside Egypt in 2017, and this is not the first time the outlet has faced prosecution. In fact, it says that this is the sixth case brought against it or its journalists in six years, with the first application for a license dating back to 2018.

The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate has expressed support for Attalah's case, calling it a "wake-up call" that contradicts demands for media reform in the country. The syndicate's head, Khaled Elbalshy, made this statement on Facebook, emphasizing the need for greater press freedom and an end to restrictions on independent media.

The move against Attalah is part of a broader crackdown on independent media in Egypt. In recent years, journalists have faced generic charges such as joining or financing terrorist groups and spreading false information, often without evidence being presented to support these allegations.

The detention of six Matsadaash investigative platform journalists has been extended for another 15 days by Egyptian prosecutors, with the journalists stating that they were not questioned about new accusations or provided with any evidence to substantiate existing ones. This move is seen as part of a growing trend of suppressing independent voices in Egypt.

Egypt's ranking on the Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index has been declining, currently standing at 169th out of 180 countries.