A Cairo court has convicted Lina Attalah, the editor-in-chief of the independent media platform “Mad Masr,” on charges of operating an unlicensed website. The conviction was delivered during a single hearing on October 27, 2026, by the New Cairo misdemeanor court. The judge imposed a fine of three million Egyptian pounds, equivalent to 53,474 US dollars, and issued an order for the immediate closure of the Mad Masr website. Following the conclusion of the session, security forces detained Attalah.
Procedural Irregularities
According to reports from Mad Masr, the judicial proceedings were marked by significant procedural violations. Prior to the issuance of the verdict, the presiding judge ordered the evacuation of the courtroom. The defense team’s requests to present evidence and hear witnesses were summarily rejected. Furthermore, the court replaced Attalah’s chosen lawyer against her will. These actions occurred despite Attalah having received a summons to appear before the High State Security Prosecution on October 19, 2026, and being referred to trial by Egyptian authorities on October 22, 2026, on charges related to establishing and managing an unlicensed electronic site.
International Condemnation
In response to the ruling, Human Rights Watch called for the immediate dismissal of the case against Attalah prior to the scheduled hearing date. Bassam Khawaja, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, condemned the verdict as a mockery of justice. He stated that the rapid conviction in a sham trial demonstrates the government’s determination to eliminate the remaining independent media in Egypt. Khawaja urged international partners to strongly denounce this repressive campaign.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
