As the British Museum prepares to open its new “Hieroglyphs: unlocking Ancient Egypt” exhibition, the Museum must speak out on human rights in Egypt today.

Egypt, under President Sisi’s rule, is experiencing its worst human rights crisis in its modern history.

BP, the sponsor of this exhibition, is Egypt’s largest fossil gas producer with close ties to President Sisi. Egypt is also about to host the COP27 climate summit, which it hopes to use to increase its international legitimacy. 

Meanwhile, British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd El-Fattah is one of tens of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Alaa has been on hunger strike since the 2nd of April. 

We are calling on the Museum to lend its voice to the international call for the release of Alaa and all prisoners of conscience before COP27. As the Museum puts Egypt in the spotlight it has both a position of influence, and the responsibility to use it. 

Find out more and take action:

• Find out more about Alaa and sign the petition to the UK government urging it to help Free Alaa before it’s too late. If you’re a UK voter, please also write to your MP. 
• Read a letter signed by leading cultural figures, climate organisations, workers’ groups and scientists, calling on the Museum to lend its voice to the international call for the release of prisoners of conscience before the COP27 Climate Summit taking place in Egypt in November.
• Read more about why holding the COP27 Summit in Egypt’s police state creates a moral crisis for the climate movement, by Naomi Klein for the Intercept,
• Organisations and individuals can support the COP civic space petition urging Egypt  to open civic space and release everyone arbitrarily detained ahead of COP27. 
• Read more about the British Museum’s controversial sponsorship by oil and gas giant BP. Then sign the petition to say The British Museum must not renew its sponsorship deal with BP.  British Museum Members can speak out here.

Header image of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, by Mohammed-al-Raai.