Egyptian authorities have charged Lina Attalah, the founder and editor-in-chief of the independent news outlet Mada Masr, with publishing false news and operating without a license.
The charges were announced on Monday after Attalah was questioned by state security prosecutors and released on bail of 30,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $620).
The charges stem from a July 31 report on Mada Masr’s website that detailed allegations of abuse at a Cairo prison.
The article cited a leaked letter, reportedly from a jailed former governor, and claims from detainees’ relatives about widespread mistreatment and a hunger strike.
Credit: Al Jazeera
Amnesty International condemned the move, calling the interrogation “deeply concerning” and stating that Attalah was targeted solely for her commitment to press freedom.
The day before Attalah’s summons, the Ministry of Interior had issued a statement denying the abuse allegations and dismissing the leaked letter as “fabricated,” accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of spreading “lies.”
Mada Masr, founded in 2013, is one of the last remaining independent news platforms in Egypt and has faced years of legal harassment, censorship, and website blocking.
Attalah herself has been detained and questioned by authorities multiple times in the past.
