Lina Attalah arrested in court, fined $53,400, Mada Masr closed
Lina Attalah, who leads the independent news site Mada Masr, was arrested right in court on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after being fined about $53,400 for running the website without a license.
The court also ordered Mada Masr to shut down.
Her lawyers are now trying to get her out on bail.
Egypt court action alarms rights groups
This is the sixth legal case against Attalah and Mada Masr in six years, but it is the first time things have gone to trial.
Earlier this month, six journalists from fact-checking platform Matsadaash were charged with terrorism offenses, after being arrested in a series of raids in September.
Human rights groups say 26 journalists are currently jailed in Egypt because of their reporting.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called Attalah's court's decision "outrageous," saying, "This shameful ruling must be overturned immediately, and Lina Atallah released at once!" highlighting growing worries about press freedom in Egypt.