Egypt Orders Closure of Independent News Site Mada Masr

Editor-in-chief Lina Attalah was briefly detained and fined over licensing violations. Rights groups condemned the ruling as a major blow to press freedom in Egypt, where independent media face growing pressure.

An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the closure of independent news website Mada Masr after convicting its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah, of operating without a license.

Attalah, one of Egypt‘s most prominent journalists, was detained for several hours following the verdict before being…