Egypt Continues Pressure on Activists

The arrest of an Indian climate activist by Egyptian security forces recalled the regime's grim human rights record as it prepared to host the UN climate summit COP27. Ajit Rajagopal, an architect and activist from Kerala in southern India was arrested on Sunday shortly after he embarked on an eight-day march from Cairo to Sharm el-Sheikh as part of a global campaign to raise awareness about the climate crisis. A local human rights group called the arrest "illegal," reporting at least 67 arrests in Cairo and other cities in recent days as authorities tried to quell planned protests. The activist was released on Monday afternoon, but his arrest is a reminder of the daily oppression and surveillance Egyptians face as the global community prepares to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh this weekend.