Egyptian authorities have allegedly begun cracking down on activists in response to a mysterious call for protests on the COP27 climate summit.
According to prominent opposition lawyer Khaled Ali, the measures, which have included random phone searches and summons for interrogation, began in October.
“Almost every day, state security arrests and interrogates people about the call to protest on November 11,” the former presidential candidate wrote on Facebook on Friday, after hashtags calling for mass protests began to appear.
The proposed date coincides with the expected arrival of US Vice President Joe Biden for the COP27, which Egypt is hosting in the remote resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
The online calls also come at a time when the local currency’s value is at an all-time low, having lost more than half of its value this year, and annual inflation is hovering around 15%.
The latest pound depreciation was required for Egypt to secure a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
