Egyptian court orders closure of news outlet Mada Masr

A Cairo court has ordered the shutdown of independent news website Mada Masr and convicted its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, for operating an unlicensed publication. The court also imposed a fine exceeding $50,000 on Attalah, who was briefly detained during the legal proceedings.

Mada Masr is widely regarded as one of Egypt's few remaining prominent independent media outlets. Press freedom organizations and international observers condemned the court ruling, framing it as a further escalation in Egypt's ongoing crackdown on critical journalism and free expression. Egyptian authorities have routinely used licensing regulations to target independent press outlets.

Sources: ICIJ.