The conviction of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, has exposed how Egyptian authorities use the law to pressure, imprison, and silence journalists while dismantling independent media, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
In a trial the CPJ described as “marked by serious violations,” the New Cairo Misdemeanor Court on October 27 ordered Mada Masr shut down, imposed a 3 million Egyptian pound fine on Attalah—approximately US$54,000—and authorized the confiscation of its equipment, citing the outlet’s operation without a license. Mada Masr said it had submitted repeated license applications, none of which had been approved.
The ruling “shows how Egypt’s media law is used to restrict media work, turning notification into a system of permission in which the state controls who has the right to run a media outlet,” said Mohamed Salah, chairman of an independent Egyptian outlet whose own license application was rejected.
