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Olaf Scholz, U.N. Human Rights Chief Call for Release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah in Sharm el-Sheikh

HeadlineNov 09, 2022

As official meetings and speeches continue at COP27, pressure is mounting for the Egyptian government to take action as political prisoner and human rights activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah remains on a complete hunger and water strike. On Tuesday, the U.N.’s head of human rights warned his life was in “great danger.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also addressed the issue Tuesday.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz: “It is very depressing to see how a human life is at risk. And the hunger strike has now entered a stage where we all have to fear that this will really lead to quite a dreadful consequence. That is why I, and I know many other heads of state and government, have raised this issue specifically. A decision needs to be taken, a release has to be made possible, so that it doesn’t come to it that the hunger striker dies.”

On Tuesday, Egyptian lawmaker Amr Darwish confronted Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s sister Sanaa Seif as she spoke to the press at the COP. Darwish asked Sanaa Seif, “Are you here inciting foreign countries to put pressure on Egypt?” before being removed from the event by security.

President Biden is meeting later this week with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He is expected to raise human rights with Sisi, but it’s not clear if he will explicitly discuss Alaa Abd El-Fattah.

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