“Help me” was the cry launched by Patrick Zaki as he was taken away from the Mansoura court soon after the verdict. Three years in prison for having written an article on discrimination against the Coptic minority or, to be more precise, for “spreading false news”. The trickle of these long months waiting for a sentence ended in the worst way. An absurd sentence, without any legal basis. Let’s remember that! But what can we expect from a country, theEgyptwhich holds 60,000 political prisoners in prison, people detained for expressing an opinion, for publishing a video, for daring to criticize President Al-Sisi or for participating in a demonstration? Egypt is a country where journalists and journalists are arrested arbitrarily due to their work or critical opinions. At the end of 2022 we counted in prison at least 25 journalistsfollowing a guilty verdict or pending an investigation into charges such as “improper use of social networks”, “spreading fake news” and “terrorism”.
The news of the sentence shocked everyone, Patrick first. There was already tension in the air from the day before the hearing, something said that this session would be different, that something would happen. And that cry, “Help me”, is the confirmation.
We are still here to count the messages of solidarity that Amnesty International To celebrate Patrick’s graduation, he collected over 8,000 messages from people from north to south of Italy who once again wanted to show him closeness and solidarity. We all hoped until the end for an act of clemency from the Egyptian government, from President Al-Sisi. We asked that he could discuss his master’s thesis live in his beloved Bologna, but once again the pressure had no effect. On July 5, Patrick defended his thesis online, graduated with honors and was able to celebrate with his loved ones. For a day, he hasn’t been the open-air prisoner of his country.
Patrick has already spent 22 months of preventive detention in prison, very long and unsustainable months. There he met other activists and shared spaces with those who led them demonstrations in Taharir Square in Cairo in 2011. Immediately after his release he used his visibility to remind his cell mates and wasted no time in demanding the immediate release of Alaa Abdel Fattah, leader of the Egyptian uprisings. He now he risks returning to them for another 14 months. Although he was released on bail, Patrick has never been free to leave his country. He never made it back to his gender studies at the University of Bologna. He lived in limbo between anxiety about what might have happened and dreams of a “normal” future. And somehow, he tried. He was supposed to get married in September, the wedding vows have already been deposited and the preparations have been started. But all of that fell apart within minutes. A 3-year sentence; 14 months of detention to be served.
Hoda NasrallahPatrick Zaki’s lawyer, announced a appeal to the military governor to annul the sentence or have the trial re-tried, as happened in the case of Ahmed Samir Santawy, another prisoner of conscience who lives the same nightmare as Patrick and has a link with the University of Vienna. A verdict issued by a state of emergency court cannot be subject to appeal, only to the ratification of the President who has the authority to commute the sentence or cancel the verdict. In addition, there is a decision by the Attorney General issued in 2017 which says that “If the defendant is tried on parole and sentenced to a custodial sentence, he must be released immediately without execution, pending what the decision decides. ‘certifying authority regarding the judgment issued against him’.
It is circular no. 10 of 2017 relating to the emergency law and the execution of sentences issued by the emergency courts for state security. Patrick Zaki’s lawyers are trying to enforce this circular. Activists, politicians and human rights organizations have just announced their withdrawal from the intergovernmental human rights discussion group organized by the Egyptian government. A loud and clear signal: no one will leave Patrick Zaki alone in Italy or in Egypt.
Meanwhile, promises are pouring in Italy, declarations of indignation and condemnation follow one another. Yet, in these years in which Amnesty International has filled the squares of Italy with the banner “Free Patrick Zaki“, brought the silhouettes of Patrick Zaki to schools, colleges and libraries across the nation, where were our politicians? We have only seen rivers of armaments continue to be sold to the country which still today has not delivered the addresses of the alleged perpetrators of the murder of Giulio Regeni.
We will continue to stand by Patrick Zaki and call for his release. We look forward to seeing him in Bologna to celebrate his graduation!
ANSA/ CALO’