Egypt court fines journalist Lina Attalah and orders news site's closure
Amnesty International said the verdict against Attalah and independent outlet Mada Masr represented "a crushing blow to press freedom".
Amnesty International called the verdict against Lina Attalah 'a crushing blow to press freedom' (file photo)
The editor-in-chief of the independent Egyptian news outlet Mada Masr was detained for several hours after a court convicted her of managing an unlicensed website and ordered its closure, her lawyers say.
Mada Masr said Lina Attalah was released once it paid the fine of 3m Egyptian pounds ($53,500; £40,100) also handed down to her by the New Cairo Misdemeanours Court. It was the maximum possible penalty for the charge, which she had rejected.
Attalah was released on bail and later referred to trial before the New Cairo Misdemeanours Court on the charge of operating a website without a licence.