Court orders closure of one of Egypt’s last independent media outlets

An Egyptian court ordered the closure of one of Egypt’s last independent news outlets Tuesday after convicting its editor-in-chief of operating a website without a license, a major blow to the country’s shrinking press freedom.

The publication, Mada Masr, said its editor-in-chief and founder, Lina Attalah, was released after paying a fine equivalent to about $53,400. She had been detained for seven hours after the verdict, with her whereabouts unknown during that time, according to the outlet.

Mada Masr is one of the few remaining news outlets in Egypt known for investigating corruption, the expanding role of the country’s powerful military, and human rights violations in a country where newspapers and television stations are closely controlled by authorities. Ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Human Rights Watch called the prosecution of Attalah an escalation of an “outrageous attack on independent media.”

Attalah’s lead lawyer, Hassan el-Azhary, said Mada Masr planned to appeal the closure order.

“Today’s decision represents a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt and marks a dark day for independent journalism in the country,” Amnesty International said in a statement. By imposing a large fine, ordering the closure of Mada Masr and the seizure of its property, while “detaining…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business