Mada Masr says its work must go on and Attalah should face neither prison nor fines
Mada MasrIndependent Egyptian news outlet, in a statement to readers on its X account
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.
“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.”
Original post
Original post
Where this statement fits
Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closed and fines editor Lina Attalah over an unlicensed website; the outlet says its license applications went unanswered
On October 27, 2026, a misdemeanor court in New Cairo convicted Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah of running a website without a license. It fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds, about $54,000, and ordered the outlet's website closed and its equipment and property confiscated. Mada Masr says it applied for a license in 2018, 2020 and 2023 and never received a decision, and its lawyers say the court denied them a copy of the case file. Press freedom and human rights groups condemned the ruling. We did not locate a public comment on the ruling from Egyptian authorities as of November 1, 2026.
Source and context
Original post
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.
Original post
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.
Before the quotation
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.
After the quotation
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.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why 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.
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More from this case
Read the full caseCPJ calls the order to shut down Mada Masr outrageous
Committee to Protect Journalists
“The order to shut down Mada Masr, one of Egypt's leading media outlets, is outrageous and a clear signal that Egypt is doubling down on its efforts to suppress independent media”Read statement
Amnesty calls the Mada Masr ruling a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt
Amnesty International
“Today's decision represents a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt and marks a dark day for independent journalism in the country”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Mada Masr says its work must go on and Attalah should face neither prison nor fines". First published: 2026-11-01. Last updated: 2026-11-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/7736-in-a-message-to-readers-three-days-after