Patrick Zaki has received pardon. After the conviction by the Mansura court, the Egyptian activist will not have to return to his cell to serve another 14 months in prison, after having already spent 22 in pre-trial detention. Yesterday, in fact, Zaki was arrested immediately in the courtroom after being sentenced to three years in prison for denouncing discrimination against Christians. The sentence of the special court was not appealable so only the pardon of Egyptian president al-Sisi – for which there had been appeals from both the Italian and US governments – could save the young activist from prison. Al-Sisi also pardoned Mohamed al-Baqer, the lawyer of Alaa Abdel Fattah, Egypt's best-known political prisoner, as reported by the state-run daily al-Ahram.
“President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (…) uses his constitutional powers and issues a presidential decree pardoning a group of people against whom judicial sentences have been handed down, including Patrick Zaki and Mohamed El-Baqer, in response to the appeal of the Council of Secretaries of National Dialogue and of political forces”: a member of the Egyptian Presidential Pardon Committee, Mohamad Abdelaziz, wrote on Facebook.
Free Zaki: the reactions
“It is a great joy for Bologna, I hope it means embracing him soon and having him back in the city. We must also thank all the activists who have spent themselves for Patrick Zaki, Amnesty, the rector, Professor Rita Monticelli, the governments that have followed and also the last government, which has dialogued with Egypt. I'll stop here for now, let's wait for more news and hope that Patrick will be able to leave the country to have him here, it's a great joy for Bologna, I want to repeat it". The mayor of Bologna said so, Matthew Lepore.
“If yesterday was a catastrophic day, today is a day of happiness. It's important that Patrick is free again. We also hope, if this measure does not contemplate it, that the travel ban will be abolished. And this square which is filling up at the Pantheon, if it was worried an hour ago, is now a happy square”. They are the words of Richard Noury, spokesperson for Amnesty International Italy.
“Thanks to the government's foreign policy, we have made a decisive contribution to freeing this young student. Concrete results through work and international credibility”. The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister wrote on Twitter Antonio Tajani.
