Senator ties Egypt's press crackdown to a US military aid decision

A Cairo court on Tuesday ordered the news website Madr Masr closed and fined its editor-in-chief, Lina Attalah. Earlier this month, six journalists at the fact-checking platform Matsda2sh were arrested.

Conditions waived in September

320 US$ million in military aid

In September, the US State Department waived human rights conditions on part of its military aid to Egypt, citing US national security interests.

“The minute that money was released, the crackdown began in an absolutely devastating way,” the Democratic senator said.

— Sen. Chris Murphy