In Solidarity with Mada Masr and Lina Attalah
The Issue
A call from writers, art and cultural workers
To the Egyptian authorities, and to the institutions, publics and governments that work alongside them:
On 27 October 2026, an Egyptian court sentenced Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr (مدى مصر), to the maximum penalty available: Mada Masr to be shut down and Ms Atallah to pay a fine of three million Egyptian pounds (US$ 54,000).
The trial was rushed and lacking basic defence rights, and Attalah was taken from the courtroom into custody and held for several hours, until the fine was paid in full. On November 11 she will return to court to face the charges of spreading false information. These carry a possible custodian sentence of one year. Atallah was subjected to interrogation about Mada Masr’s coverage of protests inside Egypt’s prisons. Reporting on those protests is being treated as a crime.
We, the undersigned art and cultural workers, firmly and unequivocally condemn these measures. Many of us have read, written for and learned from Mada Masr. The outlet, in addition to its exceptional investigative reporting on the region, has followed Egyptian and Arab art, literature, film and music with sustained attention, as well as nurtured its communities. It has also published the writings of imprisoned authors from Egypt and other countries.
We regard Lina Attalah and the staff of Mada Masr as our colleagues in a shared field of work, the work of critical inquiry and the practice of solidarity. We refuse to watch in silence as that field is dismantled.
Journalism, writing and art stand on one foundation: freedom. An injury to one is an injury to all.
Mada Masr's case is part of an escalating pattern. In recent weeks the entire newsroom of Matsda2sh (متصدقش) was arrested. Matsda2sh is a vital fact-checking platform. The journalist and filmmaker Rasha Azab was called in for questioning. Journalists, human rights defenders, writers and artists have been detained and prosecuted for their words, and those responsible for violations against them are seldom held to account. We call on cultural actors and institutions to denounce it publicly.
We call on the Egyptian authorities to:
- Drop all charges against Lina Attalah and quash the closure order against Mada Masr.
- Allow independent media to work freely and end the use of media-law provisions to criminalise the work of journalists.
- End the campaign of intimidation targeting journalists, independent media outlets and the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
- Release immediately and unconditionally all 25 journalists currently detained in Egypt.
- End impunity for violations against everyone who exercises freedom of expression, including journalists, human rights defenders, writers, artists, bloggers, online content creators and cultural workers. There must be prompt, independent and public investigations into arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and unlawful prosecution, and there must be accountability for those responsible.
Signatories
1. Dr. Sarah Rifky, art historian and curator, Egypt
2. Dr. Dora García, artist and professor, Oslo, Norway
3. Salah Badis, author, Algiers
4. Alaa Abd El-Fattah, author, UK
5. Abdelrahman ElGendy, author, Egypt
6. Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, professor and journalist, New York, United States
7. Negar Azimi, writer and editor, US
8. Isabella Hammad, writer, UK
9. Ramona Naddaff, professor and editor, US
10. Ali Cherri, artist, France
11. Julie Mehretu, artist, New York, US
12. Goldin & Senneby, artists, Sweden
13. Judith Schwarzbart, curator, Denmark
14. Carlos Amorales, artist, Mexico
15. Dr. Chioke I'Anson, Director of Community Media, ICA/ VCU, Richmond, US
16. Ali Hussein AlAdawy, curator, critic and researcher, Egypt
17. Ahmed Awny, writer and editor, Egypt / Germany
18. Dr. Maha El Hissy, literary scholar, editor and curator, Germany / Egypt
19. Eyal Weizman, architect, UK
20. Yasmine El Rashidi, writer, Egypt
21. Benjamin Moser, author, Netherlands/France
22. Hera Buyuktasciyan, artist, Turkey
23. Molly Crabapple, artist and writer, US
24. David Farr, playwright and screenplay writer, London
25. Malak Helmy, artist, Egypt
26. Lana Bastašić, writer, Italy
27. Alaa Alqaisi, Author, Palestine/ Ireland
28. Emily Stokes, editor, US
29. Asmaa Azaizeh, poet, Palestine/ London
30. Fatma Aydemir, writer, Germany
31. Ariel Eckblad, professor, US
32. Mohammed El-Kurd, writer, Palestine
33. Rana Issa, writer, Norway
34. Maaza Mengiste, writer, US
35. Karim Kattan, writer, France/ Palestine
36. Aysegul Savas, writer, Turkey/ France
37. Wendy Lotterman, writer, US/ Norway
38. Naomi Klein, writer, Canada
39. Lina Mounzer, writer, Lebanon
40. Shruti Ganguly, filmmaker and writer, USA/ Norway /India
41. Omar Berrada, writer and translator, Morocco/ US
42. Mirene Arsanios, writer, Lebanon
43. Basma al-Sharif, Filmmaker, Palestinian/ Germany
44. Miriam Coretta Schulte, theatremaker, Germany
45. Cameron Rowland, artist, US
46. Iskandar Abdalla, historian and curator, Canada
47. Francisco Goldman, writer, US
48. Coco Fusco, artist, US
49. Jacques Testard, publisher, UK
50. Christos Krystallis, editor, Antipodes, Vlavi magazine, Greece
51. Eva Pliakou, publisher, Greece
52. Meghan O’Rourke, writer and editor, US
53. Kamila Shamsie, writer, Pakistan/UK
54. Tareq Baconi, writer, UK
55. Farah Al Qasimi, artist, US
56. Rachel Kushner, writer, US
57. Michelle Rada, writer, US
58. Hannah Rosefield, editor, UK
59. Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, writer, Germany
60. Deborah Eisenberg, writer, US
61. Seth Anziska, historian, UK
62. Claire Messud, writer, US
63. Iman Mersal, writer, Canada/Egypt
64. David Velasco, writer, US
65. Rashid Khalidi, historian, US
66. Zoé Samudzi, writer US
67. Mona Chalabi, writer and artist, US
68. Paola Prestini, composer, US
69. Haytham el-Wardany, writer
70. Rabea Eghbariah, lawyer and writer, Palestine
71. Brian Reed, journalist, US
72. Ari Osterweis, scholar, US
73. Assem Hendawi, artist and writer, Egypt.
74. Fred Moten, Professor, US
75. Lawrence Chua, historian, US
76. James McCorkle, Africana Studies professor, poet, US
77. Tess Gunty, writer, US
78. Megan Steinman, Executive Director and curator, US
79. Rasha Hilwi, writer and journalist, Palestine/ Netherlands
80. Buğra Giritlioğlu, writer, translator and publisher, Turkey
81. Iman Issa, artist, France
82. Jacqueline Woodson, writer, US
83. Jessica Rankin, artist, US/ Australia
84. Paul Pfeiffer, artist, US
85. Yukiko Tominaga, writer, US
86. Salwa Aleryani, artist, Germany
87. Fatenn Kanafani, historian, Egypt
88. Barbara Ibrahim, academic, Egypt
89. Pankaj Mishra, author, India
90. Jens Maier-Rothe, writer and producer, Germany
91. Taha Belal, artist, France/ Egypt
92. Antonia Alampi, Director Spore Initiative, Germany
93. Heather Ewing, executive director and writer, US
94. Hassan Khan, artist, musician, Egypt/ Germany
95. Kaya Behkalam, artist and Director KHF, Germany
96. Marwa Arsanios, artist, Germany/ Lebanon
97. Philip Rizk, artist, Germany/ Egypt
98. Noura Al Khasawneh, curator, Jordan
99. Khalid Abdalla, actor, UK
100. Ahdaf Soueif, writer, Egypt
137
The Issue
A call from writers, art and cultural workers
To the Egyptian authorities, and to the institutions, publics and governments that work alongside them:
On 27 October 2026, an Egyptian court sentenced Lina Attalah, editor-in-chief of Mada Masr (مدى مصر), to the maximum penalty available: Mada Masr to be shut down and Ms Atallah to pay a fine of three million Egyptian pounds (US$ 54,000).
The trial was rushed and lacking basic defence rights, and Attalah was taken from the courtroom into custody and held for several hours, until the fine was paid in full. On November 11 she will return to court to face the charges of spreading false information. These carry a possible custodian sentence of one year. Atallah was subjected to interrogation about Mada Masr’s coverage of protests inside Egypt’s prisons. Reporting on those protests is being treated as a crime.
We, the undersigned art and cultural workers, firmly and unequivocally condemn these measures. Many of us have read, written for and learned from Mada Masr. The outlet, in addition to its exceptional investigative reporting on the region, has followed Egyptian and Arab art, literature, film and music with sustained attention, as well as nurtured its communities. It has also published the writings of imprisoned authors from Egypt and other countries.
We regard Lina Attalah and the staff of Mada Masr as our colleagues in a shared field of work, the work of critical inquiry and the practice of solidarity. We refuse to watch in silence as that field is dismantled.
Journalism, writing and art stand on one foundation: freedom. An injury to one is an injury to all.
Mada Masr's case is part of an escalating pattern. In recent weeks the entire newsroom of Matsda2sh (متصدقش) was arrested. Matsda2sh is a vital fact-checking platform. The journalist and filmmaker Rasha Azab was called in for questioning. Journalists, human rights defenders, writers and artists have been detained and prosecuted for their words, and those responsible for violations against them are seldom held to account. We call on cultural actors and institutions to denounce it publicly.
We call on the Egyptian authorities to:
- Drop all charges against Lina Attalah and quash the closure order against Mada Masr.
- Allow independent media to work freely and end the use of media-law provisions to criminalise the work of journalists.
- End the campaign of intimidation targeting journalists, independent media outlets and the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
- Release immediately and unconditionally all 25 journalists currently detained in Egypt.
- End impunity for violations against everyone who exercises freedom of expression, including journalists, human rights defenders, writers, artists, bloggers, online content creators and cultural workers. There must be prompt, independent and public investigations into arbitrary detention, ill-treatment and unlawful prosecution, and there must be accountability for those responsible.
Signatories
1. Dr. Sarah Rifky, art historian and curator, Egypt
2. Dr. Dora García, artist and professor, Oslo, Norway
3. Salah Badis, author, Algiers
4. Alaa Abd El-Fattah, author, UK
5. Abdelrahman ElGendy, author, Egypt
6. Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, professor and journalist, New York, United States
7. Negar Azimi, writer and editor, US
8. Isabella Hammad, writer, UK
9. Ramona Naddaff, professor and editor, US
10. Ali Cherri, artist, France
11. Julie Mehretu, artist, New York, US
12. Goldin & Senneby, artists, Sweden
13. Judith Schwarzbart, curator, Denmark
14. Carlos Amorales, artist, Mexico
15. Dr. Chioke I'Anson, Director of Community Media, ICA/ VCU, Richmond, US
16. Ali Hussein AlAdawy, curator, critic and researcher, Egypt
17. Ahmed Awny, writer and editor, Egypt / Germany
18. Dr. Maha El Hissy, literary scholar, editor and curator, Germany / Egypt
19. Eyal Weizman, architect, UK
20. Yasmine El Rashidi, writer, Egypt
21. Benjamin Moser, author, Netherlands/France
22. Hera Buyuktasciyan, artist, Turkey
23. Molly Crabapple, artist and writer, US
24. David Farr, playwright and screenplay writer, London
25. Malak Helmy, artist, Egypt
26. Lana Bastašić, writer, Italy
27. Alaa Alqaisi, Author, Palestine/ Ireland
28. Emily Stokes, editor, US
29. Asmaa Azaizeh, poet, Palestine/ London
30. Fatma Aydemir, writer, Germany
31. Ariel Eckblad, professor, US
32. Mohammed El-Kurd, writer, Palestine
33. Rana Issa, writer, Norway
34. Maaza Mengiste, writer, US
35. Karim Kattan, writer, France/ Palestine
36. Aysegul Savas, writer, Turkey/ France
37. Wendy Lotterman, writer, US/ Norway
38. Naomi Klein, writer, Canada
39. Lina Mounzer, writer, Lebanon
40. Shruti Ganguly, filmmaker and writer, USA/ Norway /India
41. Omar Berrada, writer and translator, Morocco/ US
42. Mirene Arsanios, writer, Lebanon
43. Basma al-Sharif, Filmmaker, Palestinian/ Germany
44. Miriam Coretta Schulte, theatremaker, Germany
45. Cameron Rowland, artist, US
46. Iskandar Abdalla, historian and curator, Canada
47. Francisco Goldman, writer, US
48. Coco Fusco, artist, US
49. Jacques Testard, publisher, UK
50. Christos Krystallis, editor, Antipodes, Vlavi magazine, Greece
51. Eva Pliakou, publisher, Greece
52. Meghan O’Rourke, writer and editor, US
53. Kamila Shamsie, writer, Pakistan/UK
54. Tareq Baconi, writer, UK
55. Farah Al Qasimi, artist, US
56. Rachel Kushner, writer, US
57. Michelle Rada, writer, US
58. Hannah Rosefield, editor, UK
59. Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, writer, Germany
60. Deborah Eisenberg, writer, US
61. Seth Anziska, historian, UK
62. Claire Messud, writer, US
63. Iman Mersal, writer, Canada/Egypt
64. David Velasco, writer, US
65. Rashid Khalidi, historian, US
66. Zoé Samudzi, writer US
67. Mona Chalabi, writer and artist, US
68. Paola Prestini, composer, US
69. Haytham el-Wardany, writer
70. Rabea Eghbariah, lawyer and writer, Palestine
71. Brian Reed, journalist, US
72. Ari Osterweis, scholar, US
73. Assem Hendawi, artist and writer, Egypt.
74. Fred Moten, Professor, US
75. Lawrence Chua, historian, US
76. James McCorkle, Africana Studies professor, poet, US
77. Tess Gunty, writer, US
78. Megan Steinman, Executive Director and curator, US
79. Rasha Hilwi, writer and journalist, Palestine/ Netherlands
80. Buğra Giritlioğlu, writer, translator and publisher, Turkey
81. Iman Issa, artist, France
82. Jacqueline Woodson, writer, US
83. Jessica Rankin, artist, US/ Australia
84. Paul Pfeiffer, artist, US
85. Yukiko Tominaga, writer, US
86. Salwa Aleryani, artist, Germany
87. Fatenn Kanafani, historian, Egypt
88. Barbara Ibrahim, academic, Egypt
89. Pankaj Mishra, author, India
90. Jens Maier-Rothe, writer and producer, Germany
91. Taha Belal, artist, France/ Egypt
92. Antonia Alampi, Director Spore Initiative, Germany
93. Heather Ewing, executive director and writer, US
94. Hassan Khan, artist, musician, Egypt/ Germany
95. Kaya Behkalam, artist and Director KHF, Germany
96. Marwa Arsanios, artist, Germany/ Lebanon
97. Philip Rizk, artist, Germany/ Egypt
98. Noura Al Khasawneh, curator, Jordan
99. Khalid Abdalla, actor, UK
100. Ahdaf Soueif, writer, Egypt
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Petition created on November 6, 2026