Human rights activists: nearly 700 arrests in Egypt since October Island state wants to appeal to International Court for Climate Protection

According to human rights activists, nearly 700 people were arrested in Egypt before and during the current world climate conference. be underneath journalistsa prominent one attorneythe relative of a new one opposition party and activists, the organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on Wednesday. This raises concerns that dissenters will have to fear even harsher retaliation after the end of the international conference in the country. There was no official confirmation of the arrests.

Those who criticize the Egyptian government – for example on the human rights record, the army, the trade unions or sensitive environmental issues – can expect arrests and long prison sentences. Human rights activists estimate that tens of thousands of dissidents have been imprisoned since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power in 2013. The repression overshadows the ongoing climate conference in the holiday resort of Sharm el Sheikh.

HRW relies on documents from the Egyptian Commission of Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), which has counted about 700 arrests in all parts of the country since October 1. Authorities targeted those who had called for anti-government protests on November 11. In Cairo, among others, security was increased considerably two weeks before this day and cafes were also closed. Protests are effectively banned in Egypt.

Egypt’s economy has suffered, among other things, from the consequences of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Rising energy and food prices in combination with high inflation, which mainly affects the poorest of the country with 100 million inhabitants, arouses resentment. The local currency has lost about a quarter of its value since the beginning of the year.

(sda/dpa)