Amnesty accuses Egypt of “stifling freedoms” ahead of COP27

Amnesty International on Wednesday accused the Egyptian authorities of “continuing to stifle freedoms”, six weeks before the opening of the UN World Climate Conference (COP27) in Egypt.

In September 2021, President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi launched a national strategy for human rights, in which he insists that education, health, and electricity are more necessary rights than, for example, the right to assemble, which is almost forbidden in Egypt.

Agnes Callamard, secretary general of London-based Amnesty International, accused the authorities of using this strategy “to cover up their continuing human rights violations, thinking they can fool the world before COP27.

The international community must “put pressure on the Egyptian authorities” to “put an end to abuses and impunity, starting with the release of thousands of critics and opponents arbitrarily detained in Egyptian prisons,” the human rights organization added.

For human rights defenders, the awarding of the COP27 to Egypt is seen as a “reward to a repressive power”.

Since he came to power in 2013, Mr. Sissi is accused by these activists of having gradually muzzled the population.

Egypt has more than 60,000 prisoners of conscience, including peaceful activists, lawyers, academics, and journalists, according to Amnesty.