When the door of a cell opens, hopes and anxieties actually open, they can announce your freedom, or an execution, they can deliver a letter from your loved ones or take you to the torture chamber. In the case of Patrick Zaki this time a hope has opened and I am really happy that now this boy is free: no young person should ever end up in a cell, be deprived of his freedom without having done anything wrong. It happened to me that I was 13 and I know what that means.
I had voted in the Senate for the citizenship application of this nice-faced student and I remain convinced that it should be granted to him. On that occasion I had ideally proclaimed myself his “grandmother” and let alone if I do not open the door to this “grandson” whom I hope to embrace here in Italy as soon as possible. I read that he would like it, so I tell him to hold on, to hold on because the first step towards freedom has been taken.
I was very impressed by the story of this young university student who returned to Egypt to meet his parents and was imprisoned for a crime of conscience. Even more impressive story considering what happened to Regeni. And I was touched by an episode of which we had learned: that is when they had opened the door of the cell and instead of freeing him they had simply transferred him to another prison. I know well what anxiety you get when they open the door of your cell: you hope it is to set you free but you also know that it could be for something terrible. Opening a door has many meanings and we can only know what happens next by crossing that threshold. Patrick did and I can only imagine with what fears he must have walked among the guards. He is now home to his family and that is what matters. We look forward to his return here with confidence. –
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