The man who wrote about the persecution of Christians, for whom Meloni stood up, was convicted, but he can still be released from prison

The activist was imprisoned for 22 months for writing about the persecution of Christians in Egypt. Behind bars, he completed his studies via video connection and was able to defend his thesis online at the University of Bologna.

Patrick Zaki, a human rights activist who was sentenced to three years in prison by a local criminal court the day before on charges of spreading fake news, was pardoned by the head of state in Egypt on Wednesday after he wrote in an article about the persecution of Christians living in the Arab country.

According to the clemency decision of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Zaki will be released the remainder of his sentence. The activist should have served another 14 months behind bars, as he was credited with the 22 months he had spent so far in official custody.

Tuesday's verdict was met with strong protests by the Italian government and Egyptian and Italian human rights activists. No appeal could be filed against the judgment of the emergency court in Mansoura, which is competent in matters of state security, only the head of state has the authority to annul the judgment or, where appropriate, exercise clemency.

The Egyptian activist, who was pursuing postgraduate studies in Bologna, was detained in February 2020 when he returned to his country for a short family visit. He was arrested at the Cairo airport by secret service employees.

Zaki was accused of spreading fake news based on an article he wrote in 2019 about Christians in Egypt, which said Christians living in the Arab country were being persecuted.

The man spent 22 months in the custody of the authorities, and was then free to defend himself until the trial in the city of Mansúra was concluded. He was also able to finish his studies and defend his thesis at the University of Bologna via video link, but the Egyptian authorities did not allow him to leave.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized even after Tuesday's sentencing: they are still working to find a positive solution to Patrick Zaki's case.

After Wednesday's pardon decision, Meloni announced that the activist would return to Italy on Thursday. He also thanked the Egyptian president for this very important act.

MTI