Key facts
- Mada Masr ordered closed by Egyptian court Tuesday.
- Editor-in-chief Lina Attalah convicted of operating without a license.
- Attalah fined 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,400).
- Website equipment to be confiscated.
- 119 rights groups and media outlets called the case an attack on press freedom.
A court in Egypt ordered the closure of the independent news website Mada Masr on Tuesday, fining its editor-in-chief Lina Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds ($53,400) and ordering her into custody pending bail. Attalah was convicted of operating the site without a license. Mada Masr, founded in 2013, is one of Egypt's most prominent independent media outlets and has faced legal challenges since 2017. The outlet said it had repeatedly sought a license since 2018 without success. The ruling follows the arrest of the newsroom of fact-checking outlet Matsaddash last month.