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Retrial of Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah adjourned amid criticism of media crackdown
Developed over time first seen 3 hours ago
An Egyptian court has postponed the retrial of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of independent outlet Mada Masr, until 18 November while it considers the defence’s request to remove the judge. Attalah faces allegations of publishing false news and running an unlicensed website, in proceedings that have drawn criticism as part of a wider crackdown on independent media.
The case stems from a complaint about Mada Masr reporting published after the Gaza war began in October 2023, and later questioning over a report about the Rafah crossing. Attalah was sentenced to a year in prison in her absence in 2024; in a separate licensing case, the same judge fined her three million Egyptian pounds, ordered the outlet closed and its equipment confiscated. Mada Masr says it has sought a licence since 2018 but received no response, while Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council has rejected claims that the proceedings were unfair.
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In short
- Lina Attalah’s retrial has been adjourned until 18 November.
- Her defence is seeking the judge’s removal.
- Mada Masr faces a separate fine and closure order.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago An Egyptian court has postponed the retrial of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of independent outlet Mada Masr, until 18 November while it considers the defence’s request to remove the judge.
Full account
An Egyptian court has adjourned the retrial of Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of the independent news outlet Mada Masr, until 18 November. The court is to consider a request from her defence team to remove the judge hearing the case, according to Mada Masr.
Attalah faces charges of publishing false news and operating a website without a licence. She was sentenced to a year in prison in her absence in 2024. Her lawyer, Hassan al-Azhari, said the defence would set out its reasons for seeking the judge’s removal before the next hearing. The team argues that Judge Mohamed Mubarak has already reached a view about Attalah.
Mubarak also presided over a separate licensing case in which, on 27 October, the court fined Attalah three million Egyptian pounds, ordered Mada Masr to close and directed that its equipment be confiscated. Attalah was detained after that ruling and released once the fine was paid. Mada Masr says its lawyers were denied time to examine the case file, provide documents or call witnesses. It also says the court appointed a different lawyer over the objections of Attalah and the eight lawyers present on her behalf, then gave its verdict without hearing arguments from her chosen team on the substance of the charges.
Mada Masr says Attalah learnt of the earlier prison sentence while completing the procedures for her release on 27 October. The outlet says that case followed questioning by prosecutors in November 2023 after a complaint from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation about a report published following the outbreak of the Gaza war. Prosecutors questioned her again in February 2024 after another Mada Masr report examined Sinai businessman Ibrahim al-Organi’s role in the movement of people and goods through the Rafah crossing.
The appeal against the fine and closure ruling is due to be heard on 25 November, according to Mada Masr. The outlet says Attalah received the summons in that separate case on 19 October, hours after it joined seven other independent Arab news organisations in an initiative intended to help cover the gap left by the detention of staff at the fact-checking outlet Matsadaash.
The proceedings have drawn attention amid criticism of pressure on independent journalism in Egypt. All six journalists working for Matsadaash were detained in September, the reports say. Those arrests form part of the context in which Attalah’s cases are being discussed, although the information supplied does not establish a legal connection between them.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The two supplied reports agree on the adjournment, the charges, the defence request and the 27 October ruling. Source 1 provides substantially more background on the earlier reporting, the separate court case, Mada Masr’s account of the proceedings and the forthcoming appeal; Source 2 gives only a brief summary. Neither report is identified by outlet name or URL in the material supplied.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A government may argue that laws against false reporting and unlicensed publishing protect the public from harmful misinformation and ensure media outlets meet consistent legal standards. It may also maintain that courts should assess specific complaints through ordinary legal procedures, and that allegations of unfairness should not be treated as proof that the proceedings are politically driven.
The case against
Critics may argue that prosecuting an independent editor over reporting, alongside severe penalties and an order to close her outlet, risks suppressing scrutiny of government policy and deterring other journalists. They may also see the unresolved licence application and the defence’s request to remove the judge as reasons to question whether the rules are being applied fairly and impartially.
Explained simply
Mada Masr is an independent Egyptian news outlet, and Lina Attalah is its editor-in-chief. Egypt regulates online news sites through a licensing system; Mada Masr says it has been seeking a licence since 2018 but has not received a response.
The case concerns allegations that Attalah published false news and operated a website without a licence. It follows Mada Masr reports published after the Gaza war began in October 2023, including coverage related to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Attalah disputes the accusations, while Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council has rejected claims that the proceedings were unfair.
The case matters because it concerns both a journalist’s criminal liability and whether an independent outlet can publish without a licence. Press freedom groups have criticised the proceedings as part of wider pressure on independent media in Egypt.
Coverage · 2 sources
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