On Tuesday, Deutsche Welle said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, currently taking part in the COP27 climate conference in Egypt, called on the Egyptian government to release imprisoned political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. “There has to be a decision. His release must be possible so that his hunger strike does not end in death,” Scholz said. “We should fear that this will lead to horrific results.” The family of Abdel Fattah, a British-Egyptian, had said he escalated his partial hunger strike to a full-blown strike starting on November 1.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also called on the Egyptian government to immediately release Abdel Fattah and provide him with the necessary medical treatment. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement declaring its rejection of the statement issued by Türk, saying, “The statement of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights willfully undermines the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law, which is an indispensable cornerstone for the protection and promotion of human rights.” Also, it said that the statement violates the principles of impartiality and objectivity.