World News

Egyptian court orders Mada Masr closure; editor Lina Attalah reportedly detained

Lina Attalah was convicted of running an unlicensed website and fined; Mada Masr says her whereabouts are unknown.

Updated Oct 27, 2026 · 22:21 UTC4 reports

The short version

Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah was taken into custody after being convicted of managing an unlicensed website.[BBC News]
The New Cairo Misdemeanours Court also ordered the outlet closed and set a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds, the maximum for the charge.[BBC News]
Amnesty International called the verdict a crushing blow to press freedom, and the outlet had sought a license since 2018 without success.[BBC News]
Mada Masr says Attalah's whereabouts remain unknown even though the fine was paid hours after the verdict.[ABC News]

Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, was convicted of managing an unlicensed website and taken into custody.[BBC News]
The New Cairo Misdemeanours Court ordered the outlet closed and imposed a fine of 3 million Egyptian pounds, about $53,500, which was the maximum penalty for the charge.[BBC News · ABC News]
Mada Masr sought an operating licence from Egypt's media regulator after a 2018 law, but its applications were rejected or left unanswered.[BBC News · ABC News]
Attalah's whereabouts remained unknown hours after the fine was paid, according to a Mada Masr statement.[ABC News]
Amnesty International called the verdict a crushing blow to press freedom.[BBC News]

Attalah's current location and condition are unconfirmed; the whereabouts detail comes from Mada Masr's statement.[ABC News]
The account that Attalah was taken into custody comes from her lawyers and is not independently confirmed in the reporting.[BBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.