Egyptian court convicts Mada Masr editor, orders outlet closed

A New Cairo court convicted Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah of operating an unlicensed website, fined her 3 million Egyptian pounds and ordered the independent news outlet closed. Attalah was taken into custody after Tuesday’s ruling, and the court also ordered the confiscation of the outlet’s property or equipment, according to reports of the decision. The fine was described as the maximum penalty. Mada Masr said security personnel carried Attalah from the courtroom after the verdict. Lawyers told reporters she would remain in custody pending payment of the fine, though the supplied accounts did not include a court order specifying the terms of her detention. Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, said he attended the hearing and that the judge rejected defence requests to submit documents and call witnesses. He also said the judge appointed a lawyer Attalah had not chosen, and that her objection was not recorded. The courtroom accounts were attributed to people connected to the hearing; the detailed procedural description was not independently established in the reporting. The case centers on Mada Masr’s efforts to obtain a...