10/11/2022
MEDITER joins the protest of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) and expresses deep concern about the events that took place at COP 27 with Ms Nehad Abulkomsan and considers it contrary to freedom of opinion and expression
The Egyptian Center for Women's Rights (ECWR), which holds a consultative status at the ECOSOC, calls for an investigation concerning what happened with Nehad Abulkmosan – ECWR’s chairwoman, a member of the National Council for Human Rights, and a senior lawyer, expert in development and gender - during her participation to the climate conference currently being held in Sharm El-Sheikh, in Egypt from November 6 to 18. In particular the investigation is asked to highlight the dynamics of the events that unfold during her participation in one of the events in the German Pavilion, specifically during the session entitled (Climate Justice and Human Rights in the Climate Conference “COP 27”), which was attended by Sana Seif, sister of Alaa Abdel Fattah and Hossam Bahgat, Director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, from Egypt and Anias Callamard, Amnesty International, Tirana Hassan, Human Rights Watch, and Jennifer Morgan, Federal Office of Foreign Affairs.
Nehad Abulkmosan was prevented from completing her speech and her question during the conference, and the session moderator ignored what she was saying, and the microphone was taken from her during her speech. Mrs. Abulkomsan also expressed her strong dissatisfaction, according to what she stated on her personal page, that the sister of activist Alaa Abdel Fattah (Sana Seif) attacked her and prevented her from completing her speech, in contravention of minimum human rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and all international conventions relating to human rights.
ECWR also expressed its dissatisfaction with the organization of the session, which lasted for more than an hour and a half, during which the time of the conference was dedicated almost in its totality to the main speakers, allocating only 10 minutes to the attendees of the conference to contribute and/or expressing their opinion.
The press conference session also witnessed many attendees being prevented from speaking and discussing, as well as tearing up banners, which caused great anger among the attendees.
It is worth mentioning that Nehad Abulkomsan has worked on the case of activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah.
Therefore, ECWR expresses its deep regret and concern for what happened in the session, which is supposed to be an example to all the organizers and attendees of upholding human rights and freedom of opinion and expression, and what happened in it, which is a serious violation of freedom of opinion and expression.
The Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR)
Méditer –Réseau euro-méditerranéen pour la coopération-AISBL
