Commitment to positive solution on Zaki continues - Meloni

(see related) (ANSA) - ROME, JUL 18 - The government remains committed to a positive solution in the case of the Egyptian researcher and human rights activist Patrick Zaki, Premier Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday.
    "Our commitment to a positive solution in the case of Patrick Zaki has never ceased, it is ongoing, we are still confident," Meloni said.
    Earlier centre-left opposition Democratic Party (Pd) lawmaker Stefano Vaccari called on Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to "react strongly" to a sentence that he called a "disgrace".
    "After two years of pre-trial detention and another two years of humiliation, now Zaki has received an unappealable sentence of three years' imprisonment for expressing political opinions on social networks in favour of human rights," said Vaccari.
    "(He was) led away from the court in handcuffs like the worst of terrorists. (It is) a disgrace," he continued, calling on Italy to "react with diplomatic and institutional force".
    "It is up to the government, to President Meloni and Minister Tajani. Without any hesitation. Zaki's freedom in the name of democracy and freedom," he concluded.
    Separately, Pd Secretary Elly Schlein called on Tajani to report to parliament on "this very serious injustice". (ANSA).