Egyptian journalist released after paying fine in Egypt

A egyptian journalist Lina Attalah, director of the main independent media, Mada Masr, was released today after a lightning trial and the payment of a heavy fine, in the latest case in a country criticized for violations of press freedom.

At the end of a single hearing, a Cairo court ordered the closure of the ‘site’ and imposed a fine of £3 million (about €49,000) for its “free” operation, the portal advanced.

According to the same source, after the trial members of the security forces “circled (the journalist) and removed it from the courtroom”.

Hossam Bahgat, director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) organization and present on site, described the arrest to take place “in the midst of shouting and protests by defense lawyers”.

The journalist was eventually released at night, after payment of the fine, AFP informed his lawyer, Hassan al-Azhari.

The lawyer pointed out, however, that he had discovered during the procedures for the release that another sentence had been handed down in default in 2024, condemning her to a year in prison for spreading “fake information” and “managing a website without a license”.

“ We resort to this condemnation, and a hearing is scheduled for November 11 ", added.

Prior to the announcement of its release, Amnesty International had classified the episode as a “black day”, assessing that the judicial decision “has struck a terrible blow against press freedom in Egypt.”.

This is at least the sixth case involving Lina Attalah and Mada Masr in the last six years.

“If Egypt can stop one of its most prestigious editors-in-chief and close its writing, no independent journalist is safe in this country,” warned Sara Qdah, regional director of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) to the Middle East.

“Mada Masr should be able to continue to carry out his work,” he insisted.

This case occurs a few weeks after the arrest of a team of journalists specializing in checking facts from another online platform, Matsadaash, accused of spreading “fake information” and maintaining links to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization banned in Egypt.

Such accusations are often made against media viewed as government critics.

In Egypt, a country frequently criticised for the repression of press freedom, 26 journalists are currently detained on the grounds of their work, according to an EIPR survey.