World’s Press condemns conviction of Lina Attalah and order to close Mada Masr
WAN-IFRA has called on the Egyptian authorities to overturn the ruling against Attalah and to release six journalists detained since late September.
In a statement, Stig Ørskov, WAN-IFRA’s CEO, said: “We stand firmly with Lina Attalah, a member of WAN-IFRA’s Supervisory Board. Lina’s courage and her commitment to independent journalism represent values that unite our global community of publishers. Her conviction and the order to close Mada Masr send a chilling message to those who seek to hold power to account in Egypt. We call on the Egyptian authorities to overturn her conviction and reverse the closure order. The arrests of six Matsda2sh journalists deepen our concern about the pressure on independent journalism in the country.”
On October 27, the New Cairo Misdemeanour Court convicted Attalah of running a website without a licence. It fined her three million Egyptian pounds (about $53,400), ordered Mada Masr closed and its equipment confiscated, and ordered her held until the fine was paid. She was released after Mada Masr paid, according to her lawyer. The outlet says it will appeal.
The case is reportedly the sixth against Attalah and the outlet in six years. Mada Masr says it applied for a licence in 2018 and 2020 and that the authorities rejected its applications without telling it. Attalah’s defence team and Mada Masr also report that the court refused requests to review the case file, submit evidence and hear witnesses, and appointed a lawyer for her over her objection and that of her own lawyers. On her release, Attalah also learned she had been sentenced in absentia in 2024 to one year in prison in a separate case, according to Mada Masr. Her lawyers have challenged the ruling, and a retrial hearing is set for November 11.
The case comes amid wider pressure on independent journalism. On September 28 and 29, security forces arrested six journalists from the investigative platform Matsda2sh. Egypt’s Interior Ministry accuses them of preparing fabricated news and having links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Their pretrial detention was extended on October 13 and again on October 27, for 15 days each time.
David Walmsley, President of the World Editors Forum and editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, said: “Time and again, regimes apply arbitrary measures and blunt tactics to try to suppress the facts on the ground. History tells us it does not work. Lina Attalah serves her people by providing independent and brave journalism. That is not a crime. It is a responsibility.”
WAN-IFRA calls on the Egyptian authorities to:
- Overturn Attalah’s conviction and refund the fine, and guarantee a fair and prompt appeal in the meantime.
- Cancel the closure order and return Mada Masr’s equipment and property.
- Ensure Attalah and her colleagues can report without harassment, arbitrary detention or prosecution.
- Set up a transparent, fair and accessible licensing process for independent online media.
- Release the six Matsda2sh journalists immediately and unconditionally, and drop all charges.
Egypt is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects freedom of expression, and its Constitution guarantees press freedom. WAN-IFRA urges its members, national media associations and the wider international news media community to support Mada Masr and press for the release of the Matsda2sh journalists.
