The government of Premier Giorgia
Meloni achieved a very important result in securing the release
of Egyptian researcher, human rights activist and Bologna
University alumnus Patrick Zaki, Deputy Premier and Foreign
Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday.
"I wish Patrick Zaki good luck and hope that his dreams will
come true," Tajani told Radio Anc'io on Rai Radio1.
"The Italian government did what it thought was right; from the
very start of this executive we have been working towards the
release of Zaki and to resolve the case of (Giulio) Regeni",
added Tajani, referring to the Italian researcher kidnapped,
tortured and brutally killed in Egypt between January and
February 2016.
"We worked hard and in silence. With Zaki, we have achieved a
very important result with Zaki," said the foreign minister.
Zaki returned to Italy on Sunday after being granted a
presidential pardon in Egypt in relation to a conviction and
three-year sentence for allegedly spreading fake news.
He had been stuck in the north African country since February
2020 following his arrest at Cairo airport while returning from
Bologna university, where he was studying, to visit family.
"I am finally here, it is a dream come true after all these
years," Zaki told reporters at the rectorate on Sunday evening.
"There are no words that can describe how I feel," he added.
"Bologna is my second home: I have had a lot of support, I have
seen this support during these three years and it was also seen
in Cairo," said Zaki, renewing his thanks to "the Italian and
Egyptian authorities, the NGOs, civil society, the leaders of
the Italian state all the way up to the president of the
council, of ministers".
"I want to resume my university career and as a human rights
defender. I will go to Cairo for a few days, but then I will
return to Bologna," the 22-year-old told reporters.
"Mine was a success story, but there are still hundreds of
people in prison in Egypt and we ask that they be released. They
deserve a presidential pardon like me," he added.
Zaki also called for "justice for Giulio Regeni".
Regeni, a 28-year-old Friuli-born Cambridge University doctoral
researcher, was tortured to death in Egypt between January 25
and February 3 2016.
Four Egyptian security agents have been charged in Italy with
his murder but the Egyptian authorities have not cooperated with
Italian efforts to formally notify the suspects that they are on
trial, which has prevented proceedings moving forward.
In May a Rome judge asked Italy's Constitutional Court to rule
on whether the trial can proceed without the agents and without
any proof that they know they are on trial.
On Thursday Tajani said Italy had not agreed to let up on
pressure to Regeni's killers to justice in exchange for the
presidential pardon for Zaki.
"There was no bartering, no under-the-table negotiations,"
Tajani told Radio 24 the day after the pardon was granted.
"The government has managed to bring back a young researcher,
who risked spending more time in prison, to Italy.
"We are serious people, we do not barter like this.
"We will continue to ask for light to be shed on the (Regeni)
case as we have always done," Tajani said.
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