Egyptian court closes independent news site Mada Masr

An Egyptian court has closed Mada Masr, one of Egypt's last independent news outlets, and convicted its editor-in-chief Lina Attalah on October 27, 2026. The charge was running the publication without a licence. The court fined Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds, around $53,400, which is the maximum penalty allowed. Police took her into custody after the ruling, but released her once the fine was paid. The court also ordered officials to take away the outlet's equipment. During the hearing, the judge cleared most people from the room. Only Attalah, her eight lawyers, and one human rights observer could stay. Attalah had denied all the charges against her. Mada Masr had been one of very few platforms for independent journalism in Egypt.