German officials have lodged a complaint with the Egyptian government over covert surveillance by the country’s security agents at the COP27 World Climate Conference.
According to the German Press Agency (DPA), the host country’s security agents have secretly monitored, photographed, and filmed events held at the German pavilion inside the summit venue in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
Prior to the incident on November 12, German police warned its speakers of potential security threats that could arise from their participation at the conference.
"We expect all participants in the U.N. climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions. This is not just true for the German but for all delegations, as well as representatives of civil society and the media," Germany's Foreign Ministry issued a statement following the security breach incident.
Egypt Thwarts Spying Accusations
Egyptian security sources thwarted the claims, telling DPA that personnel was only present for the safeguarding of foreign seminars and activities for the UN team, and their role as Egyptians was limited to security outside the halls and in the city.
However, delegations from multiple nations told DPA that Egyptian security personnel had been forced on being a part of closed sessions as well.
"It is very obvious that the Egyptian authorities are monitoring human rights activities. The only reason they haven't used physical violence yet is that we're in an UN-controlled area," Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian human rights organization EIPR, stated.
The UN also acknowledged that some security agents were from the national police and said it was investigating the complaints.
Egypt's shady history
The issue of Human rights has always been a matter of discussion in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government accused of holding a tight grip on the Middle East nation.
According to multiple media reports, thousands of individuals, including human rights activists, journalists, students, opposition politicians, businesspeople, and peaceful protesters have been arbitrarily detained.
Many dissenters are subjected to unfair trials and mistreatment or torture by the Egyptian government. Due to deplorable prison conditions, many have fallen sick and even died. To safeguard the rights of these individuals, neither Human Rights Watch (HRW) nor Amnesty has offices in Egypt. However, a ban on the HRW website, in place for years, was only lifted a few days ago.