Ahead of the summit, the Human Rights Watch expressed concerns regarding the state of freedom of expression in Egypt, along with the broader human rights situation, and questioned to what extent it would be possible to protest.[28] Issues raised by critics included the authoritarian political system, mass imprisonment and curbs on civil society and dissent since 2013, under the leadership of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. International human rights organizations reported that there are about 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt.[29] Imprisoned Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah criticised COP27 taking place in Egypt, and stated that "Of all the countries to host they chose the one banning protest and sending everyone to prison, which shows how the world is handling this issue."[30] Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben and British Green Party MP Caroline Lucas are among the signatories who have signed a letter detailing their concerns about holding COP27 in Egypt.[31]