Local and international solidarity with Mada Masr and Lina Attalah
The ruling convicting Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah issued Tuesday has sparked international, regional and local expressions of solidarity, alongside calls to overturn the ruling and halt measures targeting independent journalism.
The New Cairo Misdemeanor Court had ruled to fine Attalah with 3 million Egyptian pounds (about $55,556) while ordering the website shut down and confiscating its equipment.
Amnesty International described the ruling as “a crushing blow to press freedom in Egypt” and “a dark day for independent journalism in the country.” Yasmin Ahmed, the organization’s regional impact director, called the ruling “draconian” and said the authorities were “sending a clear message: critical, independent reporting will not be tolerated.”
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Ahmed added that Lina Attalah should never have been prosecuted simply for exercising her right to freedom of expression and doing her job as a journalist.
She called for the ruling to be overturned, the forced closure of the website to be halted, and what she described as the systematic persecution of journalists to end.
The International Federation of Journalists also criticized the ruling. In a statement, the federation’s general secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said prosecuting journalists was nothing new in Egypt, but that the authorities were “now taking it to a new level by cracking down on independent media.”
The federation called on Egyptian authorities to drop the “unfounded charges” against Attalah and reiterated its call for the release of all detained journalists and media workers. It stressed that “no journalist should face criminal prosecution for doing their job.”
The Network of Independent Media Organizations in the Arab World also expressed solidarity with Mada Masr and its editor-in-chief. It published a statement signed by several media organizations and press freedom groups condemning the ruling as part of “a new and escalating crackdown on independent media in the country.”
The signatories called on Egyptian authorities to allow Mada Masr to operate freely, grant licenses to independent media organizations without discrimination, and stop using licensing provisions in the Press and Media Regulation Law to criminalize journalistic work.
The organizations warned that “the expanding arrest, closure and defamation campaign against independent media sends a clear message of fear and intimidation to newsrooms across the country.”
They called for an end to what they described as a campaign of intimidation against journalists, independent media and the Journalists Syndicate, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of detained journalists.
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the ruling, calling for it to be overturned and for the escalating campaign against independent journalism to end.
Sarah Qudah, the committee’s regional director, described the ruling as “a devastating blow to press freedom in Egypt and a direct message aimed at dismantling independent media in the country.”
Reporters Without Borders also called for the ruling to be overturned, describing the charges against Attalah as “unjust.” The International Press Institute condemned the ruling and described the charges as “spurious.”
The Foundation for the Support of Law and Democracy described the ruling as “a new blow” to press freedom in Egypt and a “dangerous escalation” against independent journalism and freedom of expression.
It called for the ruling to be overturned, the closure of Mada Masr to be halted, criminal proceedings in licensing cases to end, and the right of journalists and media organizations to work freely and independently to be protected.
On the political front, US Democratic Representative Don Beyer criticized the decision to shut down the website and called on Egyptian authorities to reverse it, describing the move as a “massive escalation” against independent media.
Arab media organizations, including Al-Safir Al-Arabi and Al-Jumhuriya Net, also announced their solidarity with Mada Masr.
Journalists Syndicate prepares legal challenge
Domestically, Journalists Syndicate head Khaled Elbalshy said in a statement that the syndicate was preparing to take legal action to appeal the ruling.
The speed of the proceedings raised serious questions about whether the defense had been given sufficient opportunity to present its case and whether Attalah and her lawyer had been able to submit their arguments, Elbalshy noted. The syndicate will raise these concerns in its appeal and upcoming legal actions, he added.
Elbalshy said the case had revived calls for freedom to establish newspapers and websites, describing this as central to journalism and society’s right to free and diverse media.
He called for transparent rules governing news website licenses that apply equally to all outlets, the completion of licensing procedures, an end to prosecutions related to unlicensed operations, the lifting of blocks on news websites, and less restrictive licensing requirements suited to digital media.
He also called for an institutional dialogue with the Journalists Syndicate on the licensing system, reaffirming the syndicate’s commitment to defending free and diverse media, pursuing available legal appeals, and standing with Lina Attalah and news websites.
Elbalshy said the proceedings against Attalah should serve as a “wake-up call for everyone.” He added that they sent messages at odds with calls from the committees working on professional development, national dialogue, and media development, which have urged the removal of restrictions on journalism, the creation of diverse and independent media, a free civil society, and independent institutions.