The hunger strike of the Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, one

of the symbols of the Arab spring

, has tarnished the start of the COP27 and threatens to expose the regime of Abdelfatá Al Sisi, with some 60,000 political prisoners in the prisons according to estimates by human rights groups.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to intercede for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah,

a 40-year-old British mother

, who was sentenced last year to five years in prison for "spreading falsehoods."

The well-known blogger has been on a hunger strike for more than 160 days and has announced that he will also start a "water strike" to coincide with the start of COP27.

His sister, Sanaa Seif, who has been demonstrating daily

in London for three weeks in front of the British Foreign Office, with photos of her brother and the slogan #FreeAlaa, has expressed her fear that she may die during the climate summit: " It's good that the "premier" has agreed to intercede for him, but I trust he can understand the urgency. We can't wait for a confirmation after the conference."

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Alaa Abd el-Fattah had been consuming barely 100 calories a day since last April, mainly water, milk and honey.

The blogger is practically isolated from all outside contact and

is only allowed to write one letter a month.

In the last one, he warned about the impact of the floods that had forced the displacement of 33 million inhabitants in Pakistan.


In a letter addressed to his family and released on Saturday, Rishi Sunak expressed his "full commitment" to try to solve the case, "considered a priority for the Government both because it is a human rights issue and because of his British status" ( Alaa Abd el-Fattah

obtained dual nationality last year

).


"I am going to press President Al Sisi on the importance of resolving his case and putting an end to his unacceptable treatment," said Sunak, who joined 120 world leaders at the start of the summit in Sharm el Sheikh on Monday.

Division into environmental groups

Alaa Abdel Fattah's case did indeed cause major divisions among environmental groups in the run-up to the summit.

The so-called COP27 Coalition addressed a letter to the Egyptian government calling for the release of political prisoners, backed among other groups by Amnesty International, 350.org, Climate Actions Network and Greta Thunberg (who even backed the blogger's sister and made a photo with her outside the Foreign Office).

Greenpeace did not sign the letter however and has been criticized by human rights groups for contributing to the "greenwashing" of the Egyptian government.

Neither did dozens of local environmental groups, for fear of going backwards in the face of the progress made precisely under the "shield" of COP27.

"Greenpeace International's stance has been frustrating, as it could have used its level of influence to make human rights a priority issue at the summit," warned Sanaa Seif, who has nonetheless won support for her brother's cause. in the British branch of the environmental organization.


"Alaa's life is in grave danger,"

Greenpeace UK executive directors Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum warned in unison.

"It is vital that the UK go beyond words and use its influence to secure the release of Alaa and other political prisoners."


The Human Rights Watch organization has condemned "the atmosphere of fear" and the "systematic heavy hand against the civilian population" of the Egyptian Government, which

has blocked access to more than 700 internet portals

(including HRW) since COP27, to the complaints of dozens of delegates.


"Effective action on the climate requires more voices, not fewer", denounced the director of the environment branch of HRW, Richard Pearshouse.

"You cannot thus restrict access to vital information about the debates: from environmental rights to human rights.

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