![Lina Attalah has said Egypt is "trying to limit the already-limited space" for independent media](/images/2026/Nov/11/LINA.jpg "Lina Attalah has said Egypt is "trying to limit the already-limited space" for independent media")
An Egyptian criminal court in Cairo has adjourned the retrial of prominent journalist Lina Attalah until November 18, amid growing international concern over what the United Nations (UN) describes as increasing attacks on press freedom in the country.
The opening hearing, held on Wednesday, was postponed after defence lawyers for Attalah, editor-in-chief and co-founder of independent news outlet Mada Masr, requested the recusal of the presiding judge.
The defence team argued that the judge had already formed a conviction against their client, according to Mada Masr, which cited its lawyer, Hassan al-Azhar.
The judge reportedly went into recess before adjourning proceedings for a week to allow the court to consider the request.
The case has attracted international condemnation, with the UN warning of "widening assaults on press freedom by Egyptian authorities, including the targeting, persecution and harassment of independent journalists".
In an interview with the BBC, Attalah said the recent crackdown was intended to "send a chilling message" to the few independent newsrooms remaining in the country.
"Everybody should be careful, everybody should be scared, everybody should be wondering if they are next," she warned.
Founded 13 years ago, Mada Masr has grown into one of Egypt's leading independent news platforms, providing investigative reporting and coverage of politics, economics, human rights and regional conflicts.
Last month, the New Cairo Misdemeanours Court convicted Attalah of operating a website without a licence, an authorisation she said she had unsuccessfully tried to obtain for years.
She was fined three million Egyptian pounds (approximately $56,000 or £42,000), while Mada Masr was ordered to shut down.
Following that trial, Attalah discovered that another court had previously sentenced her in absentia to one year in prison in 2024 for allegedly spreading false news and operating a website without a licence. She was reportedly unaware of the conviction, despite being in Egypt at the time.
She is now being retried in that case before the same judge.
Mada Masr also reported that Attalah's appeal against last month's conviction is scheduled for November 25.
Egypt has faced sustained criticism over restrictions on press freedom, ranking 169th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The organisation says at least 26 journalists arrested in recent years remain in detention.
Although most newspapers and television stations operate within government-approved editorial lines, Mada Masr has remained a rare independent investigative outlet. However, the website has been inaccessible within Egypt since 2017.
The platform has published reports on alleged corruption, human rights abuses and political developments, as well as extensive coverage of conflicts in Libya, Sudan and Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Attalah defended the importance of independent journalism, arguing that professional news organisations help promote accurate information and serve the broader interests of society.
"It's much better if you have a little space left to have it open for professional media organisations who do rigorous reporting, because if we disappear, then you make the space for conspiracies and disinformation," she said.
"People need to know, people need to consume information and you're shooting yourself in the foot if you're killing the newsrooms that do it properly."
Her case comes amid wider concerns over the treatment of independent journalists in Egypt.
In September, six journalists working for independent fact-checking platform Matsda2sh, representing its entire newsroom, were arrested during raids on their homes and held incommunicado for nearly a week.
They have since been charged with joining the Muslim Brotherhood and financing terrorism. Their lawyers allege that several of them were beaten and electrocuted while in detention, adding that authorities have presented no evidence linking them to the group.
The crackdown follows years of restrictions on the Muslim Brotherhood and its perceived affiliates. Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who was backed by the group, was removed from office by the military, led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in July 2013 following widespread protests.
Al-Sisi became president the following year, and his administration subsequently designated the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation, paving the way for a wider crackdown on the movement and its perceived supporters.
On Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan called for the release of the Matsda2sh journalists and the dropping of all charges against them.
He also said the case against Attalah raised fresh concerns about due process and the right to a fair trial.
"We call on Egypt to end all forms of harassment of journalists and media outlets, and to respect and fulfil the right to freedom of expression, including the right to information," Al-Kheetan said.
He further urged Egyptian authorities to reverse measures aimed at suppressing the operations of Mada Masr and Matsda2sh, stressing that Egyptians have the right to access diverse views on matters of legitimate public interest.
