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Ahead of COP27, Democrats push Biden to confront Egypt on human rights

A group of lawmakers want President Joe Biden to use the climate conference to press Egypt for improvements in its dire human rights record. 
Egyptian activicts Mohamed Adel (L), Ahmed Douma (C) and Ahmed Maher (R) stand in the accused dock during their trial on December 22, 2013 in the capital Cairo. An Egyptian court sentenced three activists who spearheaded the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak to three years in jail for organising an unlicensed protest, judicial sources said. It was the first such verdict against non-Islamist protesters since the overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in July, and was seen by rights groups as part of a wideni

As Egypt gears up to host the United Nations climate conference next week, more than 50 Democratic lawmakers have written to President Joe Biden asking that he push the Egyptian government to release political prisoners and allow the full participation of civil society in the annual summit.

The COP27 climate talks will put an international spotlight on Egypt, a strategic US partner in the Middle East with a long track record of jailing dissidents and stifling free speech. Biden and his climate envoy, John Kerry, will attend the summit in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, which begins Nov. 6. 

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