Sharm el Sheikh: A senior Egyptian official has dismissed allegations of covert surveillance being deployed against dissenters at the COP27 climate talks, suggesting the allegations were made as a political distraction.

German media has reported that the German government complained that Egyptian security staff were reported to have monitored and filmed events held at the German pavilion inside the summit venue in Sharm el Sheikh, while Reuters has reported that German federal police have warned its delegates that they may be getting spied on by the host country’s security agents.

Some of the events hosted by Germany at the COP relate to human rights rather than climate change and the German Press Agency reported that Egyptian officials took photographs and videos and disrupted proceedings on at least two occasions.

“We expect all participants in the UN climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “This is not just true for the German but for all delegations, as well as representatives of civil society and the media.”

Asked about the allegations during a press conference on Monday afternoon Wael Aboulmagd, Egyptian Ambassador and Special Representative of the COP27 President, said he had not received a complaint from the German delegation, but had seen media reports that were “vague, imprecise and inaccurate”.

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He said the allegations “seemed ludicrous” because the events referred to were open to the public.

“I can tell you that some people we have been talking to said [they were] tired of these apparently intentional distractions from climate change issues, excessive focus on unfounded allegations, particularly when we are seeing backtracking from many developed countries on their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

“We, as the presidency, have been trying from day one to focus on the existential threat which is devastating lives and livelihoods around the world.”