Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief and founder of the independent Egyptian news outlet Mada Masr, faces trial following charges of creating an unlicensed website, marking a continuation of the Egyptian government’s crackdown on independent media. Attalah was questioned by prosecutors and charged on Thursday before being released on bail pending her trial, scheduled for October 27.

Mada Masr, which publishes content in both English and Arabic, has operated for more than a decade and is widely regarded as one of the most independent news organizations in Egypt. It was jointly awarded the Media Freedom Award in 2023 by Britain and Canada in recognition of its dedication to high-quality independent journalism. Despite this recognition, the Egyptian government, led by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has repeatedly refused to issue Mada Masr with an operating license, citing the absence of such authorization as grounds for legal actions.

Attalah has maintained that Mada Masr has made persistent efforts to secure a license in compliance with Egyptian law, saying the outlet intended to operate fully within legal parameters. She accused the authorities of violating their own regulations by ignoring license requests and employing licensing laws as tools of control and intimidation against independent media. If convicted, Attalah could face a fine of up to 3 million Egyptian pounds (approximately $76,000).

Human rights organizations have condemned the charges and broader efforts to silence dissent. Amnesty International described the indictment as part of a broader pattern of harassment, noting this as the sixth case pursued against Mada Masr and its journalists over six years. The group highlighted the Egyptian government’s ongoing campaign against independent outlets that challenge the state-controlled narrative.

This crackdown extends beyond Mada Masr. Last month, six journalists working for the fact-checking website Matasadash were arrested. Amnesty International reported allegations of torture and mistreatment of those detainees while in custody.

Since President el-Sisi came to power in 2013 following the military overthrow of former Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, Egypt has become one of the leading jailers of journalists in the Middle East. The military-backed government has imprisoned not only Islamist activists but also liberal and secular critics. Recently, el-Sisi, 71, stated he would not stand in the 2030 presidential election but emphasized that any potential candidates would require military approval.