“We urge you not to forget Alaa Abd El-Fattah and the thousands of political prisoners held in Egypt”

Aas the whole world prepares for the 27^e Conference of the Parties (COP27), organized by the UN, in Egypt, we, the Nobel laureates, urge you not to forget the thousands of political prisoners held in Egyptian prisons – with particular urgency in the case of the Egyptian-British writer and philosopher Alaa Abd El-Fattah, who has been on a hunger strike for six months and is in danger of dying.

Alaa has spent the last ten years – a quarter of his life – in prison, for the words he wrote. For essays, social media posts, speeches and ideas he spawned, about democracy, law, technology or work – ideas that should be celebrated, but cost him his freedom .

As Nobel laureates, we believe in the power of writing and its ability to change the world – and in the need to champion free speech if we are to build a more sustainable and truly more just future.

Against exploitation and coercion

We urge all representatives of governments, environmental organizations and businesses to use all the means at their disposal to help the most vulnerable and to protect them not only from rising waters but also from imprisonment and oblivion. A just and fair transition cannot just reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but must aim to fight against exploitation and coercion.

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If world leaders meet in Egypt and leave without addressing the most vulnerable, what hope can they still have? If, in the end, COP27 comes down to a silent gathering, where no one takes the risk of speaking out for fear of upsetting the COP presidency, what is the future that will be negotiated for the planet?

We fully understand what is at stake in the negotiations and their urgency. But it is not by coming to terms with authoritarianism that crises are avoided. We firmly believe that truly sustainable development requires more democracy, more transparency and more citizen participation.

Read also: Egypt: hunger strike of a pro-democracy doctor detained since 2018

We ask you to use your speaking time to make the names of political prisoners heard, to call for their release and to invite Egypt to turn a page and become a true partner in building a different future: a future which respects life and human dignity.

Powerful voice for democracy

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