HRW is to moderate a discussion at Cop27 alongside Amnesty International, whose website is accessible via the conference’s Wi-Fi. The list of blocked sites also includes blogging platform Medium, Egypt’s only independent news outlet Mada Masr and Qatari news agency Al Jazeera. Alexandria Villaseñor, an activist who leads the youth climate organization Earth Uprising, tweeted: “There are so many blocked websites in Egypt on #Cop27, it is noticeable and difficult for us to work. We can’t use the @Earth_Uprising Medium site because Medium is blocked. The news agencies we refer to are blocked.” He added: “There is no climate action without truth and information.” Observers and conference attendees fear the blockades at Cop27 are part of efforts by Egyptian authorities to separate vital climate negotiations from human rights issues by controlling what attendees can see in the remote resort of Sharm el-Sheikh about Egypt’s decades-long history of repression. on human rights and limiting their understanding of the country where the talks are taking place. Egyptian telecommunications providers temporarily lift the ban on voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls at Cop27, such as WhatsApp calls. However, the authorities left in place a sophisticated and broad system of blocking websites deemed critical of the Egyptian authorities, including independent media and human rights organizations. Internet freedom groups such as Qurium and Citizen Lab have documented how deep packet inspection technology provided by Canadian company Sandvine allows Egyptian authorities to block websites at will. “Egyptian authorities have blocked access to around 700 websites, including independent media and civil society groups. This severely limits access to information that needs to be discussed, including environmental and human rights. Effective climate action requires more people to have a say, not fewer,” said HRW environment director Richard Pearshouse. The number of blocked sites has increased since Egypt began blocking independent news sites in 2017, starting with Mada Masr and Al Jazeera, which Egyptian authorities have frequently targeted since 2013, including in a high-profile trial of journalists from Al Jazeera. As of September 2020, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information and Mada Masr reported that 628 websites were blocked in Egypt, including 116 news websites, 15 dealing with human rights issues, 27 political criticism websites, and 349 websites that allow users to they download virtual private network (VPN) services, which are also banned in Egypt, and therefore prevent internet users from undermining the website’s ban. Earlier this year, the block on news websites was extended to include the independent Al-Manassa news agency, prompting the free speech organization Article 19 to say that “no government agency has so far announced its responsibility for these blocking decisions ». The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. HRW reported shortly before Cop27 began on the Egyptian state’s crackdown on environmental activism and independent research, driving many activists into exile and greatly limiting what groups based in the country can do, fearing arrest, closure them or worse. “Another obstacle to independent investigation is the severe restriction of access to information,” he said. “Such massive censorship, combined with systematic arrests and prosecutions of journalists, have severely limited access to information and reporting on topics deemed prohibited by the government, including environmental issues.”
