“I want to say many thanks to the Italians, to Bologna, to the University, to my colleagues, to anyone who supported me”.
Patrick Zaki, who has just arrived at his family's home in Mansura, celebrates his release after 22 very long months by remembering the city where he was studying before being arrested in Egypt and the country that followed his legal affair closely.
"I will see what happens in the next few days - adds the Egyptian student -. I want to be in Italy as soon as possible, as soon as I can I will go directly to Bologna, my city, my people, my university".
One of the first things he did as soon as he got home was put on a shirt from the University of Bologna, which the university had sent him. Then a thought about his favorite team in Italy: “Long live Bologna football”, he said while speaking to reporters. And Bologna Fc replied: "Patrick, we look forward to seeing you soon at Dall'Ara".
"Today is a day of celebration - said Giovanni Molari, rector of the university - even if we must not let our guard down until the accusations are completely acquitted. We hope that Patrick can put these two painful years behind him and can return to his studies soon. here in Bologna, at his university. His place is here, in our community, together with his classmates and teachers who can't wait to embrace him again ".
PROVISIONAL FREEDOM - The Egyptian student of the University of Bologna is for the moment on bail, because the judges have not acquitted him of the charges and the trial continues. The only certain thing is that the release without the obligation of signature decreed by the single judge cannot be challenged by the public prosecutor.
His lawyer Hoda Nasrallah continues to work to defend him: he asked to obtain footage from surveillance cameras, a report from the internal secret services and a police report to prove that between 7 and 8 February two years ago he was captured. illegally at the Cairo airport, while the authorities claim to have lawfully stopped him in Mansura, thus making a black hole of beatings and torture denounced by his lawyers disappear. Nasrallah also asked for the documents of an old trial and the summons of a witness to prove that the article written by Patrick in 2019 to document the discrimination suffered by the Christian minority of Islamic Egypt - the one for which he risks another 5 years in prison - did not spread falsehoods. And this should be the focus of the defensive brief that will be presented on February 1st.
(Unioneonline / D)