A criminal court in Cairo has delayed the retrial of prominent Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah, who is being charged with "publishing false news." The case, which has garnered international criticism, was postponed until November 18 after Attalah's defense team requested a new judge. The United Nations (UN) has expressed concern over growing attacks on press freedom by Egyptian authorities, including the targeting, persecution, and harassment of independent journalists.
Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, a leading independent news outlet in Egypt, was previously convicted last month of operating a website without a license, for which she was fined 3 million Egyptian pounds ($56,000; £42,000) and ordered to shut down the site. However, it was later discovered that a court had issued her a one-year prison sentence in absentia in 2024 for "spreading false news" and operating a website without a license - charges often levied against journalists and dissidents in Egypt.
At the opening session of her retrial on Wednesday, Attalah's defense team requested the judge's recusal, claiming that he had already formed a conviction against the defendant. The judge adjourned proceedings for a week to consider the request before going into recess. Attalah's appeal against last month's conviction is scheduled for November 25.
Egypt ranks 169th out of 180 countries for press freedom, according to Reporters Without Borders' 2026 analysis. At least 26 journalists who were arrested in recent years remain in detention. While most newspapers and television stations now adhere to government lines, Mada Masr remains a rare independent and investigative news source in Egypt. However, since 2017, the site can only be viewed from outside the country.
Attalah has suggested that the authorities may again be trying to silence independent voices at a time of economic strain and regional instability in Egypt. The recent legal action against journalists comes after the US State Department's concern over the suppression of freedom of the press in Egypt. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the release of six journalists arrested from an independent fact-checking platform, Matsda2sh, and expressed concerns regarding due process and fair trial in Attalah's case. The UN also urged Egypt to end all forms of harassment of journalists and media outlets and respect the right to freedom of expression.