A Cairo court ordered the closure of the Mada Masr website and imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds on the outlet. The penalty also equates to $53,500 or £40,100.
Lina Attalah, who founded Mada Masr in 2013, was convicted by the court for managing an unlicensed website. Attalah gained international prominence in 2011 and had applied for an operating licence three years ago, but Egyptian authorities never responded to the request.
Hassan al-Azhari stated, “Lina Attalah was released after we paid the said fine,”. Attalah had previously received a 2024 sentence in absentia of one year in prison and a 20,000 Egyptian pound fine.
A new hearing for her appeal is scheduled for 11 November 2026. The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 25 journalists are currently imprisoned in Egypt.
Amnesty International described the verdict as “a crushing blow to press freedom,” while Reporters Without Borders called the move “outrageous.” Authorities arrested a six-person team at Matsadaash and charged them with membership in the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has claimed a conspiracy to destabilise Egypt since 1 August 2026 and intended to remain in power until 2030.
