Rights groups urge COP27 host Egypt to end freedoms 'crackdown'

Egypt must end a "crackdown" on civil society organisations and peaceful protesters ahead of November's COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, more than 30 groups including Amnesty International said Tuesday.

"The Egyptian authorities should unconditionally allow peaceful protests and gatherings around the time of COP27, including in Cairo... and other cities," the 36 groups, also including Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

The summit in Egypt's resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh will bring together world leaders in a bid to reach new commitments to limit climate change.

The 36 groups expressed concern that restrictive Egyptian laws would curtail the right to freedom of assembly and expression.

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"Robust and rights-respecting climate action requires the full and meaningful participation of all stakeholders including states, activists, civil society and representatives of Indigenous peoples and groups most vulnerable to the harm of climate change," the statement said.

It cited Egypt's 2013 protest law as a threat, saying it "grants security forces free rein to ban protests and to use unnecessary and excessive force against peaceful protesters".

The groups also called on the Egyptian authorities to end a "relentless assault" on civil society, rights defenders and the media.

Measures used by the authorities have included "unfounded criminal investigations, arbitrary detention... and other restrictive measures that risk undermining the ongoing civil society participation needed for a positive outcome of COP27", they said.

The choice of Egypt as host for the summit has previously drawn sharp criticism from activists, with Human Rights Watch warning the government would use it to "whitewash" the country's rights record.

Egypt has launched successive crackdowns on protests and civil society organisations.

Rights groups say some 60,000 political prisoners are held in the country, many facing brutal conditions and overcrowded cells.