Mada Masr said, in a statement published on Sunday 1 November 2026, that its editor-in-chief Lina Attalah “did not at any moment waive” her right to appeal the ruling issued against her, and that the defence team went the same day to the New Cairo Prosecution to take the procedures to appeal the 27 October ruling before the legal deadlines expire, received no response by the end of the day, and again did not obtain a copy of the case file or an official copy of the ruling.
The statement came a day after a statement by the Supreme Judicial Council on Saturday 31 October, in which it said that Attalah paid the fine after the verdict was read, waived her right to appeal in writing and signed the form prepared for that, that the court offered the defence access to the case file and it refused, and that appointing a lawyer to defend her did not breach the right of defence.
Mada Masr said that the defence team, after the session on Tuesday 27 October before the Ninth Circuit of the New Cairo Misdemeanour Court in Case No. 11743 of 2026, submitted a complaint to the president of the New Cairo Court requesting an investigation into denying the defence a copy of the case papers, appointing a lawyer to represent Attalah despite her objection, and refusing to record her objections, her defence’s objections and the request to recuse the judge in the session minutes. On Thursday 29 October, the defence sent a complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the Assistant Minister of Justice for Judicial Inspection against the judge, which included “deliberately holding part of the session in private” after the courtroom was cleared, and recording requests in the minutes in the name of the appointed lawyer that he did not make. Mada Masr said that none of the defence team members, including the Journalists Syndicate’s legal representative, had been heard or notified of the complaint’s outcome so far.
The court had ruled to fine Attalah EGP 3 million ($62,112), close the website and confiscate its devices and equipment, on a charge of operating a website without a licence from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.
Photo: Bastique via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
