An Egyptian court has fined journalist Lina Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,500) and ordered the closure of the independent news outlet she leads, prompting condemnation from press freedom groups.

Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, was detained for several hours after the New Cairo Misdemeanours Court found her guilty of operating an unlicensed website, her lawyers said. She was released after the outlet paid the full fine.

Amnesty International described the ruling as a serious setback for independent journalism in Egypt, where authorities have faced longstanding criticism over restrictions on the media and freedom of expression.

The verdict comes amid renewed scrutiny of the country's treatment of journalists. Only weeks earlier, six journalists from independent fact-checking platform Matsda2sh were charged with belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Court hearing raises concerns

The proceedings against Attalah drew criticism from her legal team and human rights advocates.

According to Hossam Bahgat, head of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the judge ordered the courtroom cleared, allowing Attalah, her eight-member defence team and Bahgat to remain.

Bahgat told AFP that security personnel subsequently entered the courtroom before the judge rejected several requests from the defence and appointed a lawyer to represent Attalah.

He said Attalah objected to the appointment, but the judge declined to include her objection in the official court record.

Bahgat also alleged that the judge entered legal motions on behalf of the appointed lawyer, who had not spoken during the proceedings.

The judge later imposed the maximum fine for the charge and ordered Mada Masr's closure, according to Bahgat.

News outlet says licensing efforts went unanswered

Mada Masr, founded in 2013, has established a reputation for independent reporting on Egyptian politics and public affairs.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the outlet had repeatedly sought an operating licence from the Supreme Media Regulatory Council since a new media law took effect in 2018. Its applications were either rejected or left unanswered, the organisation said.

The licensing dispute has become central to concerns over the case, with press freedom advocates arguing that the authorities' handling of independent media has made it increasingly difficult for journalists to work.

Before the trial, prosecutors had summoned Attalah for questioning over allegations of publishing false news and operating a website without a licence.

Her lawyer said the investigation included a Mada Masr report on protests in prisons across Egypt, as well as correspondence from the media regulator concerning the outlet's legal status.

Attalah has denied the charge of operating an unlicensed website, according to the report.

Previous conviction adds to legal pressure

Mada Masr said Attalah was informed after her release that she had also received a one-year prison sentence in absentia in 2024. That case involved allegations of publishing false news and managing an unlicensed website.

Her lawyers have challenged the earlier ruling, with a retrial scheduled for 11 November, the outlet said.

Amnesty International said Attalah had endured years of intimidation and harassment, including six criminal investigations linked to Mada Masr's reporting.

Yasmine Ahmed, the organisation's senior director for regional impact, said the latest ruling threatened one of Egypt's remaining independent media outlets.

“Lina Attalah should never have been prosecuted for exercising her right to freedom of expression and doing her journalistic job,” Ahmed said.

CPJ regional director Sara Qudah also called for Attalah's release and urged authorities to allow Mada Masr to continue publishing.

Wider concerns over press freedom

Egypt remains among the countries that imprison the largest numbers of journalists, according to the CPJ, which reported that 25 journalists were behind bars in the country.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has led Egypt since 2014, following the military's removal of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Human rights organisations say his government has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent, affecting political activists, academics, media workers and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Egyptian authorities' position on the specific allegations against Attalah was not included in the report.

For press freedom advocates, the case raises questions about whether licensing rules are being applied fairly and whether independent news organisations can continue operating without fear of prosecution.

The closure order against Mada Masr now places the future of one of Egypt's best-known independent newsrooms in doubt.