Mennatallah H. H. M. Said A.
07 November 2022•Update: 07 November 2022
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt
The Italian and British prime ministers said Monday human rights issues were on the top of their talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni met with al-Sisi in the seaside city of Sharm el-Sheikh on the sidelines of the UN climate summit COP27.
A statement by Meloni’s office said she discussed with the Egyptian leader several issues, including energy, climate crisis, immigration and the human rights file.
According to the statement, the cases of Italian nationals Giulio Regeni and Patrick Zaki were raised during their talks.
Regeni, a PhD student, was found dead in Cairo in 2016, with several Italian officials blaming Egyptian security forces for his death.
Zaki, meanwhile, was released in 2021 after spending 22 months in Egyptian prison for allegedly spreading false information.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak voiced hope to meet with al-Sisi to discuss the issue of Egyptian-British citizen Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who is on hunger strike protesting his imprisonment.
Abd el-Fattah was jailed in 2014 for five years on charges of participating in an unauthorized gathering, and in 2019, he was also sentenced to another 5 years over accusations of spreading false information and joining a terrorist group.
Egypt is currently hosting COP27, with more than 100 leaders and heads of states attending the global event to discuss ways to lessen the negative impacts of climate change and adapting to its repercussions.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar
