Egyptian editor Lina Attalah faces retrial over false news charges

Prominent Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah is scheduled to appear before an Egyptian criminal court on Wednesday, France 24 reported. Attalah is the head and chief editor of Mada Masr, an independent media outlet. She faces possible prison time for operating a news website without a licence and for publishing false news. [1][2][6]

France 24 reported that Attalah was previously handed a one-year prison sentence in absentia in 2024 without her knowledge. Her upcoming court appearance is a retrial. France 24 also reported that the United Nations criticised Egypt on Tuesday for widening assaults on press freedom. [1]

Attalah co-founded the online newspaper Mada Masr and previously served as the managing editor of the Egypt Independent before its print edition closed in 2013. She was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and was named a New Generation Leader by the publication in 2018. [6]

Judicial actions and legal harassment targeting independent media outlets and journalists in Egypt have drawn international outcry, according to reports by France 24, Front Line Defenders, Democracy Now, and The New Arab. [1][3][4][5]