Abuse of power & retaliation
Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution opened a fifth criminal investigation in five years against Mada Masr editor Lina Attalah after the outlet reported on prison conditions
Confidence: Corroborated · 3 sourcesEgypt · Sep 22, 2026
Subject of this story
Supreme State Security Prosecution (Egypt)
Egypt Ministry of Interior
Also named
Affected
Lina Attalah, Editor-in-chief, Mada Masr
Mada Masr
Advocate
Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières)
What happened
On August 2, 2025, Egypt's Supreme State Security Prosecution (case no. 6182/2025) summoned Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah for questioning on August 4, two days after the independent outlet published a report on detention conditions at Badr 3 Prison that included a leaked letter from a former Alexandria deputy governor; the Interior Ministry declared the letter false and pursued legal action. Human rights groups say it is the fifth Supreme State Security Prosecution investigation targeting Attalah or Mada Masr journalists in five years, part of an outlet blocked in Egypt since 2017 and denied an operating license.
Sources (3)
Egyptian Initiative for Personal RightsLina Attalah was summoned before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (case 6182/2025) on August 2, 2025, for questioning on August 4 over Mada Masr's report on Badr 3 Prison conditions — the fifth such investigation into her or the outlet in five years.
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)Documents the escalating pattern of prosecutorial harassment against Attalah and Mada Masr journalists in 2025.
Reporters Without BordersRSF condemns the authorities' persecution of Mada Masr and its journalists and calls for the charges to be dropped.
Response
Supreme State Security Prosecution (Egypt)
No response by publication
Contacted — no response by publication.
Egypt Ministry of Interior
Not yet contacted
Not yet contacted for this story.
What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.