Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closed and fines editor Lina Attalah over an unlicensed website; the outlet says its license applications went unanswered
An Egyptian court convicted Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah of running an unlicensed website, fined her about $54,000 and ordered the independent outlet closed. Mada Masr says its license applications went unanswered; press freedom groups condemned the ruling.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Mada Masr was founded in 2013, and its website has been blocked inside Egypt since 2017. Egypt's 2018 media law requires news websites to hold a license from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation. Article 105 of the law sets a fine of 1 million to 3 million Egyptian pounds for running an unlicensed website and allows a court to order the site closed. The outlet says this is the sixth case brought against it or its journalists in six years. The ruling came a month after police arrested the six journalists of the investigative platform Matsadaash.
People in this case
Lina AttalahDirectly involved
Timeline
6 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 21, 2026 to November 1, 2026
October 2026
State security prosecutors question Attalah
Incident
The Supreme State Security Prosecution questions Lina Attalah for more than six hours about a recent Mada Masr report and releases her on bail of 100,000 Egyptian pounds.
[01]Egyptian court orders closure of news website and fines editor-in-chief
Report by The National (Abu Dhabi), filed from Cairo on October 28, 2026, on the court's order to close Mada Masr. It describes the penalty under Article 105 of Egypt's 2018 media law, the October 21 questioning of Lina Attalah by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, her referral to trial the next day, and the outlet's three license applications.
Attalah is referred to trial on the licensing charge
Incident
Prosecutors send Attalah to trial on a charge of running a website without a license under Egypt's 2018 media law.
[01]Egyptian court orders closure of news website and fines editor-in-chief
Report by The National (Abu Dhabi), filed from Cairo on October 28, 2026, on the court's order to close Mada Masr. It describes the penalty under Article 105 of Egypt's 2018 media law, the October 21 questioning of Lina Attalah by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, her referral to trial the next day, and the outlet's three license applications.
Court convicts Attalah and orders Mada Masr closed
Incident
At the first hearing of the trial, the New Cairo misdemeanor court convicts Attalah, fines her 3 million Egyptian pounds and orders Mada Masr's website closed and its equipment and property confiscated. She is held for about seven hours and released after the fine is paid.
[02]Associated Press
Associated Press report of October 27, 2026, as published by CTV News, on the New Cairo misdemeanor court's ruling against Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah. It includes Amnesty International's statement on the ruling, an account of the hearing from Hossam Bahgat of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and Mada Masr's account of its license applications.
Court orders closure of one of Egypt's last independent media outlets, detains and fines editor · Associated PressFull article[01]Egyptian court orders closure of news website and fines editor-in-chief
Report by The National (Abu Dhabi), filed from Cairo on October 28, 2026, on the court's order to close Mada Masr. It describes the penalty under Article 105 of Egypt's 2018 media law, the October 21 questioning of Lina Attalah by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, her referral to trial the next day, and the outlet's three license applications.
[03]Committee to Protect Journalists
Statement published by the Committee to Protect Journalists on October 28, 2026, announcing a joint statement with partner organizations on the conviction of Lina Attalah and the order to close Mada Masr. It quotes CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
CPJ, partners condemn Egyptian authorities' shutdown of Mada Masr, stand with editor-in-chief Lina Attalah · Committee to Protect JournalistsFull statement[04]Amnesty International
Amnesty International news release of October 27, 2026, responding to the New Cairo court's conviction of Lina Attalah and its order to shut down Mada Masr. It quotes Yasmine Ahmed, Amnesty's Senior Director for Regional Impact.
Egypt: Court order to shut down and fine Mada Masr a devastating blow to media freedom · Amnesty InternationalFull statementCPJ and partner groups condemn the ruling
Reaction
The Committee to Protect Journalists and 138 organizations condemn Attalah's conviction and urge Egyptian authorities to let Mada Masr operate freely.
[03]Committee to Protect Journalists
Statement published by the Committee to Protect Journalists on October 28, 2026, announcing a joint statement with partner organizations on the conviction of Lina Attalah and the order to close Mada Masr. It quotes CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
CPJ, partners condemn Egyptian authorities' shutdown of Mada Masr, stand with editor-in-chief Lina Attalah · Committee to Protect JournalistsFull statementMada Masr addresses its readers
Reaction
Mada Masr says it is looking for a legal way to continue its work and thanks supporters who raised the fine paid for Attalah's release.
[05]Mada Masr
English-language thread posted by Mada Masr on its X account on October 30, 2026, addressed to its readers three days after the court ordered the outlet closed. The outlet describes how supporters raised the fine paid for Lina Attalah's release and says it will keep working.
Mada Masr statement to readers after the court ruling (X thread) · Mada MasrFinal post of the English-language thread that begins at x.com/MadaMasr/status/2116225294985994439
November 2026
Attalah's lawyers move to appeal
Mada Masr says Attalah's lawyers went to the New Cairo courthouse prosecution offices to start an appeal of the ruling, and that they still had not been given a copy of the case file or the ruling.
[06]Mada Masr
English-language thread posted by Mada Masr on its X account on November 1, 2026. It lists the complaints her lawyers filed about the October 27 hearing and says they went to the New Cairo courthouse prosecution offices that day to start an appeal.
Mada Masr update on Lina Attalah's defense and appeal (X thread) · Mada MasrThird post of the English-language thread that begins at x.com/MadaMasr/status/2116892676553380196
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
Mada Masr
Mada Masr applied for a license under Egypt's 2018 media law in 2018, 2020 and 2023, and its latest application is still pending.
What is disputed
Mada Masr says this in response to the conviction of its editor-in-chief for running the outlet's website without a license, the charge on which the court ordered the website closed. We did not locate a public statement from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation on the status of the applications.
Sources (2)
- Court orders closure of one of Egypt's last independent media outlets, detains and fines editor · Associated PressFull article
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
1 matching response. Newest first.
Mada MasrIndependent Egyptian news outlet, in a statement to readers on its X accountDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Earlier in the thread, Mada Masr says it is looking for a legal way to continue its work after the court's decision to close it. It describes supporters raising the 3 million pound fine paid for Attalah's release, and says she then learned she had been sentenced in absentia in another case to a year in prison.
"We are angry, but hopeful. We are tired but insistent, insistent that our work must go on, that Lina should face neither prison nor fines, that all jailed journalists should be free."
CondemnedCase context: Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closed and fines editor Lina Attalah over an unlicensed website; the outlet says its license applications went unanswered
Full statement and sources
In a message to readers three days after the ruling, Mada Masr says its work must go on, that Lina Attalah should face neither prison nor fines, and that all jailed journalists should be freed.
After the statement
On November 1, Mada Masr says Attalah's lawyers went to the New Cairo courthouse prosecution offices to start an appeal of the October 27 ruling.
Mada Masr statement to readers after the court ruling (X thread) · Mada MasrFinal post of the English-language thread that begins at x.com/MadaMasr/status/2116225294985994439Mada Masr update on Lina Attalah's defense and appeal (X thread) · Mada MasrThird post of the English-language thread that begins at x.com/MadaMasr/status/2116892676553380196Why this label?
The reference point is the October 27 ruling that convicted Lina Attalah of running Mada Masr without a license, fined her and ordered the outlet closed. Mada Masr rejects the penalties and says it will keep working, opposing the ruling.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(6)
Reporting
Court orders closure of one of Egypt's last independent media outlets, detains and fines editor
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Associated Press report of October 27, 2026, as published by CTV News, on the New Cairo misdemeanor court's ruling against Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah. It includes Amnesty International's statement on the ruling, an account of the hearing from Hossam Bahgat of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, and Mada Masr's account of its license applications.
- Author
- The Associated Press
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
Egypt: Court order to shut down and fine Mada Masr a devastating blow to media freedom
Relevant passage: Full statement
About this source
Amnesty International news release of October 27, 2026, responding to the New Cairo court's conviction of Lina Attalah and its order to shut down Mada Masr. It quotes Yasmine Ahmed, Amnesty's Senior Director for Regional Impact.
- Author
- Amnesty International
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Mada Masr update on Lina Attalah's defense and appeal (X thread)
About this source
English-language thread posted by Mada Masr on its X account on November 1, 2026. It lists the complaints her lawyers filed about the October 27 hearing and says they went to the New Cairo courthouse prosecution offices that day to start an appeal.
- Author
- Mada Masr
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Mada Masr statement to readers after the court ruling (X thread)
About this source
English-language thread posted by Mada Masr on its X account on October 30, 2026, addressed to its readers three days after the court ordered the outlet closed. The outlet describes how supporters raised the fine paid for Lina Attalah's release and says it will keep working.
- Author
- Mada Masr
- Published
- Accessed
Official statement
CPJ, partners condemn Egyptian authorities' shutdown of Mada Masr, stand with editor-in-chief Lina Attalah
Relevant passage: Full statement
About this source
Statement published by the Committee to Protect Journalists on October 28, 2026, announcing a joint statement with partner organizations on the conviction of Lina Attalah and the order to close Mada Masr. It quotes CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg.
- Author
- Committee to Protect Journalists
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Egyptian court orders closure of news website and fines editor-in-chief
Relevant passage: Full article
About this source
Report by The National (Abu Dhabi), filed from Cairo on October 28, 2026, on the court's order to close Mada Masr. It describes the penalty under Article 105 of Egypt's 2018 media law, the October 21 questioning of Lina Attalah by the Supreme State Security Prosecution, her referral to trial the next day, and the outlet's three license applications.
- Author
- Kamal Tabikha
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closed and fines editor Lina Attalah over an unlicensed website; the outlet says its license applications went unanswered
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/egypt-court-orders-mada-masr-closed-lina-attalah-license
The Dispute Index. "Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closed and fines editor Lina Attalah over an unlicensed website; the outlet says its license applications went unanswered". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/cases/egypt-court-orders-mada-masr-closed-lina-attalah-license