Crackdown on free press: Three Egyptian Mada Masr reporters referred to trial

Crackdown on free press continues in Egypt, a country ranked the world's third-worst jailer of journalists, as three Egyptian journalists have been referred to trial this month over allegedly offending lawmakers affiliated with a high-profile political party.

The three women working for Egypt's independent Mada Masr have further been accused of the misuse of communication channels, the online news outlet said in a statement on Tuesday.

If proven guilty, the three women are likely to face from six months to two years in prison and fined from 50,000 EGP (about US$1,630) to 300,000 EGP (around US$9,795), the statement added.

The case had been triggered by a news report run on 31 August that included accusations of corruption against several senior members of Mustaqbal Al-Watan ("the Nation's Future") party, known for being loyal to the regime of Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. 

According to the report in question, the senior party members were investigated by official oversight bodies leading to a decision to expel them from the political scene.

As a result, several MPs, affiliated with the party filed dozens of complaints across Egypt against the reporters who wrote the report and the editor-in-chief Lina Attalah.

Attalah decried the charges as an attack on press freedom.

"It is a shame that journalists who professionally do their job should face complaints which could threaten their freedom, at a time when we need to refrain from antagonism, and to welcome any work critical to those in or close to power," Attalah said

"What could truly undermine domestic stability is strong-arming into legal punishment any work of criticism based on clear and factual information," she added.

Hassan al-Azhari, Mada Masr's lawyer, echoed Attalah's sentiment.

"It's a bad sign that journalists are being subjected to trial for charges under the cybercrime law, which is intended for standard internet users, and that the legislation is being used for its penalties that entail deprivation of liberty," Azhari said.

"There are existing laws for journalism and the media as well as mechanisms within the professional syndicate that provide clear routes for accountability," Azhari added.

The state of the media and journalism in Egypt has deteriorated sharply after the then-defence minister Sisi, overthrew the country's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, in July 2013.

Over 500 local and international websites of organisations and news outlets, including Mada Masr and Human Rights Watch, have been banned in the country over the past years. 

Mada Masr has been among the few remaining outlets attempting to swim against the authoritarian tide, offering its readers quality journalism in both Arabic and English.

Among the significant reports by the outlet is one regarding the president's son, senior intelligence officer Mahmoud El-Sisi, published in 2019.

Since then, the feud between the authorities and Mada Masr is believed to have escalated. In the month the report was published, plain-clothed security forces raided the office and held three senior journalists inside the premises, including Attalah, after confiscating their laptops and mobile phones, for several hours.

Almost one year later, Attalah was subjected to an act of intimidation when she was detained while interviewing mathematics professor Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed prominent activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, outside Tora maximum-security prison in Cairo.