Egypt: How Egypt’s Laws Are Used to Choke Its Independent Press

The Conviction of Mada Masr Editor-in Chief Lina Attalah highlights the persistent threat of how Egyptian authorities use licensing requirements, criminal penalties, and website blocking to silence independent journalism, despite constitutional guarantees of press freedom.

On October 27, in a trial marked by serious violations, the New Cairo Misdemeanor Court ordered the closure of Mada Masr, one of Egypt’s leading media outlets, fined Attalah 3 million Egyptian pounds (about US$54,000), and…