Civil Society Organisations at COP27 call on all heads of delegation to demand the release of prisoners of conscience in Egypt

10 November 2022

Sharm el Sheikh, 10 November 2022: Today, five constituencies representing hundreds of civil society organizations at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, and millions of members and supporters, around the world, issued an open letter to heads of delegation asking them to take a strong stand against human rights abuses in Egypt. They further called upon them to demand the immediate release of the arbitrarily detained activist Egyptian-British national Alaa Abdel Fattah and all other prisoners of conscience in Egypt targeted for their peaceful activism.

The letter states: “There can be no climate justice without human rights. Egypt’s denial of rights to Mr. Fattah and other activists across Egypt, therefore, undermines climate justice everywhere.”

The full letter text is available in the notes [1].

ENDS

Notes:

[1] November 9, 2022 

Dear Heads of State:

We, the undersigned constituencies—representing thousands of climate, climate justice, labor, women and gender rights, Indigenous, and youth organizations across the world—respectfully request that you take a strong stand against the human rights abuses of the Egyptian government and urge the immediate release of the arbitrarily detained activist Egyptian-British national Alaa Abdel Fattah and all other prisoners of conscience in Egypt who are targeted for their peaceful activism.

Those who have disproportionately suffered the horrific harms of the climate emergency are also those who have done the least to cause the crisis, and a climate just world is one that corrects these inequities head-on. There can be no climate justice without human rights. Egypt’s denial of rights to Mr. Fattah and other activists across Egypt therefore undermines climate justice everywhere.

Such treatment also violates the Paris Agreement, which reaffirms the critical importance of a vibrant civil society and respect for civil rights and political freedoms. A just and equitable world is out of reach without the ability for individuals and organizations to speak up and exercise their right to freedom of expression, protest, and association.

As Egypt hosts the global COP27 climate talks, the world watches Egypt—as well as every government participating in the COP27 talks that condones or carries out such abusive behavior in Egypt and their own jurisdictions. The credibility of the entire UNFCCC process is at stake if states participating in the COP fail to reject the abuse of human rights wherever they take place and deny their foundational role in achieving climate justice.

We stand in solidarity with those deprived of liberty and urge you to do all within your power to bring about the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Fattah, and all freedom-fighting activists and prisoners of conscience across the world.

Sincerely,

Environmental NGO Constituency, Women and Gender Constituency, International Trade Union Constituency, Children and Youth Constituency, Indigenous People Constituency 

Contact:

For more information, contact Dharini Parthasarathy, Global Communications Lead, CAN International dparthasarathy@climatenetwork.org, +9””18826107830