Lina Attalah: Mada Masr journalist sent for trial in Egypt

Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution sent Mada Masr journalist Lina Attalah to stand for trial, the independent Egyptian news website said Thursday.

One of Madr Masar's co-founders, Attalah serves as the site's editor-in-chief. The website, which publishes in both Arabic and English, frequently features critical reporting related to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government.

Prosecutors questioned Attalah for six hours on Wednesday in New Cairo, Mada Masr said.

She is accused of running a website without a license and the publication of false news "with the aim of disturbing public peace." Under questioning, the latter allegation was dropped from the charge sheet in the trial referral.

The trial has been referred to a New Cairo misdemeanors court and is slated to begin on October 27.

Hassan al-Azhari, Mada Masr's legal counsel, said there was "haste" in the trial referral and said the trial beginning next week signals "unjustified urgency."

Al-Azhari said Attalah could face a financial penalty of between 1 million to 3 million Egyptian pounds (around €16,000 to €48,000; $18,000 to $54,000) if convicted.

Mada Masr said the organization has sought a license from the Egyptian government to run its news website since 2018 — the same year Egypt passed and ratified a law to regulate the press.

Egyptian authorities have been unresponsive over the past years to Mada Masr's attempts to procure a license, with Mada Masr later finding out in 2022 that its request was rejected. The site filed a lawsuit in 2022 and found out in 2023 that the rejection was due to missing documents.

The proceedings against Attalah come after Egyptian authorities arrested six journalists last month for independent fact-checking and investigative website Matsadaash (Egyptian Arabic for "don't believe").

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed alarm about Attalah's referral to trial.

"Egypt is weaponizing its media law to punish independent journalism and intensify one of its worst crackdowns in years, which began with the arrest of the six Matsdaash journalists," the CPJ's director for Middle East and North Africa Sara Qudah said. "It is long past time for Egypt to end this campaign and allow independent media to report freely."

Reporters without Borders (RSF) had earlier said it was alarmed by prosecutors' questioning of Attalah.

According to RSF's World Press Freedom Index, Egypt ranks 169 out of 180 countries, with many of the country's biggest news outlets either state-owned or controlled by wealthy businessmen who submit to the will of the government.

Egyptian President el-Sissi came to power in a 2013 military coup against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Since then, el-Sissi has cracked down and blocked websites such as Qatar's Al Jazeera and The New Arab on allegations of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.