The Committee for Justice (CFJ) condemns the decision by the Supreme State Security Prosecution to refer journalist Lina Attalah, Editor-in-Chief of Mada Masr, to the New Cairo Misdemeanor Court on charges related to establishing, managing, and operating a website without a license. The first hearing in Case No. 9072 of 2026 is scheduled to begin on 27 October 2026.
The referral followed an investigation conducted by the Supreme State Security Prosecution on 21 October 2026, which lasted more than six hours and reportedly focused on the legal licensing status of the website and its journalistic coverage of protests that took place in Egyptian prisons. Attalah was subsequently released on bail of EGP 100,000 after facing charges that included operating an unlicensed website and publishing false news with the intent of disturbing public order.
The case arises within the context of a longstanding dispute over the legal status of Mada Masr’s license. According to the outlet, it submitted an application to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation in June 2023 and did not receive a response, following two previous attempts in 2018 and 2020. The website also cited its lawyer, Hassan Al-Azhari, who criticized the speed with which the referral decision was issued and the trial date scheduled shortly after the conclusion of the investigation.
The referral of Attalah to trial, as well as the summons that preceded it, coincides with Mada Masr’s announcement that it had joined the establishment of a collaborative Arab investigative newsroom under the slogan “Don’t Believe It Until They Return… Verification Continues”, a solidarity initiative with the six journalists from the Matsada2sh platform who were arrested earlier.
According to available information, the six journalists were subjected to enforced disappearance and torture before appearing before the Supreme State Security Prosecution, where they were charged in Case No. 8083 of 2026 with joining a terrorist group and publishing false news.
CFJ believes that the timing of these measures, alongside acts of journalistic solidarity, raises concerns regarding the legal and security pressures facing independent journalists and media outlets that report on matters of public interest.
These concerns are particularly significant in light of Mada Masr’s statements regarding recurring legal proceedings against the outlet, its journalists, and its editor-in-chief. According to the platform, the current case marks the sixth legal case it has faced over the past six years.
Lina Attalah previously faced legal proceedings in August 2025, when she was released on bail of EGP 30,000 in connection with accusations related to publishing false news and operating a website without a license. Those charges followed the publication of a report concerning complaints by detainees alleging violations inside Egyptian prisons.
These developments raise questions regarding the guarantees available to journalists in the exercise of their profession and the extent to which media institutions are able to cover public affairs and hold authorities accountable without facing prosecution based on the content of their journalistic work.
CFJ calls on the Egyptian authorities to end the prosecution of independent journalists for carrying out their professional duties and to ensure that criminal charges or licensing procedures are not used to restrict freedom of expression and press freedom. The organization further calls for full fair trial guarantees for Lina Attalah, as well as respect for the rights, safety, and legal protections of the six journalists from the Matsada2sh platform.
CFJ emphasizes that Mada Masr remains one of the last independent media outlets operating in Egypt and that the repeated legal cases and proceedings brought against the platform and its editor-in-chief over the past six years warrant a comprehensive review. Such a review is necessary to safeguard media independence, protect the public’s right to information, and uphold obligations relating to freedom of opinion and expression.
