Patrick Zaki was arrested in Cairo in February 2020 for ‘spreading fake news’ in an article over the plight of Christians in Egypt. His trial will now take place on February 1st 2022.
An Egyptian court ordered the release, pending trial, of jailed researcher Patrick Zaki. The news was welcomed by human rights defenders and the prime minister of Italy.
Zaki had been studying in Italy but was arrested on February 7, 2020, after he landed at Cairo’s international airport on a visit to see his family. He is accused of “spreading false news” in relation to an article he wrote about the plight of Christians in Egypt.
Trial postponed until February
The court in the city of Mansoura postponed Zaki’s trial until February 1. This is to give prosecutors and defence lawyers time to prepare their arguments, said the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), which represents Zaki, on Tuesday.
Patrick Zaki had been held in pretrial detention for more than a year-and-a-half. He previously worked as a researcher at EIPR, a leading independent rights group in the country.
Zaki was initially present at Tuesday’s hearing in his hometown of Mansoura, north of Cairo. However, he was no longer in the room when the judge announced his decision.
Release welcomed by human rights activists
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi expressed “satisfaction” in a statement from his office on Tuesday. “The issue has been and will be closely watched by the Italian government,” it said.
“I’m jumping for joy!” his mother Hala Sobhy told AFP news agency. “We’re now on our way to the police station in Mansoura.”
The move was welcomed by human rights activists, such as Riccardo Noury, spokesman for Amnesty International Italy. “Despite the fact he is still under trial, this is a huge step forward,” Noury wrote on Twitter.
Rights activists say Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has overseen an unprecedented crackdown on freedoms since first taking power in 2013.
Tens of thousands of people have been jailed, human rights groups say. El-Sisi says security and stability are paramount and denies there are political prisoners in Egypt.
