The Cairo court on Wednesday postponed the hearing for the case of Lina Attalah (Lina Attalah), editor of the independent news website "Mada Masr," to next week. This decision was made to review Attalah's lawyer's request regarding the judge's lack of impartiality.
Case Details and International Criticism
The case of Lina Attalah, one of Egypt's most prominent independent journalists, has faced severe criticism from the United Nations, media watchdogs, and human rights groups. These criticisms arise from concerns that this case could deal a final blow to one of the last independent voices in Egypt's media landscape.
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Attalah has been retried after being sentenced in absentia to one year in prison in 2024, without her knowledge. The charges against her include operating a news website without a license and "spreading false news," which are commonly levied against journalists and political opponents in Egypt.
Legal and Social Status of Media in Egypt
Attalah's lawyer, Hassan Al-Azhari, announced that he would present his defense before the next session scheduled for November 18. He argued that the judge has "already formed a definitive opinion against the accused."
This case is being overseen by Judge Mohamed Mubarak, who on October 27 fined Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds (approximately $56,000) and ordered the closure of the "Mada Masr" website in a separate case.
Attalah learned during that session for the first time that she had been sentenced in absentia in this case in 2024. The "Mada Masr" website has struggled with severe media restrictions in Egypt for over a decade, and this new case stems from an investigation that began in November 2023.
The United Nations also expressed its criticism on Tuesday regarding what it termed "increased attacks on press freedom" in Egypt. Tahmin Al-Kithan, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Commission, stated that Attalah's prosecution "raises new concerns about due process and fair trial."
Cairo has consistently faced severe criticism for its human rights record and has closed nearly all avenues for dissent over the past decade. Attalah stated in an interview with an international media outlet before her trial that Egypt is "trying to restrict the already limited space for independent media."
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have described this crackdown as "unprecedented." In September, authorities detained all staff members of the news room of the fact-checking platform "Matsadash." Six journalists remain in pretrial detention, with reports indicating that they have been subjected to torture and forced to "confess to fabricated charges."
This crackdown has also been criticized by American lawmakers, the European Union, and 135 human rights and media organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Human Rights Watch.
Sara Qaza, regional director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, stated that "Egyptian authorities must immediately stop this crackdown, lift the closure of the Mada Masr website, and uphold the fundamental rights of press freedom."
However, despite the criticisms, Egypt's Western allies have generally shown limited willingness to exert public pressure on Cairo regarding its human rights record. Last month, the United States suspended human rights conditions related to $320 million in military aid to Egypt.
In response to this decision and concerns about press freedom, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Egypt as a "reliable and good defense partner," stating, "This does not mean you agree with everything the other government does."
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