The Supreme Judicial Council denied, in a statement on the evening of Saturday, October 31, 2026, what was circulated on social media about a breach of trial guarantees in Case No. 11743 of 2026, Fifth Settlement Police Station Misdemeanors, known as the case of the “Mada Masr” website, and said that the session records refute these allegations.
The council said that the Public Prosecution charged the defendant with establishing and managing a website without a license from the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, and that she attended the session with her defense team, and the defense requested a postponement of the case to review its file. It added that the court allowed the defense to review it, but the defense insisted on the postponement, so the court considered this an unjustified delay and appointed a lawyer to defend the defendant. The statement affirmed that the defendant complied with the fine after the ruling was issued, and waived her right to appeal in writing.
The council said that it “categorically rejects attempts to cast doubt on the integrity of the Egyptian judiciary and to undermine its prestige,” and called for “accuracy and taking information from the official statements it issues.”
The New Cairo Misdemeanor Court had ruled, on Tuesday, October 27, to fine Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of “Mada Masr,” 3 million pounds (about $53,500), and to close the website and confiscate its devices and equipment, at the first session of the case. The Journalists Syndicate had announced the formation of a legal committee to appeal the ruling, and called for a conference on December 3.
Photo: Bastique via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
