News briefing
By: The Committee for Justice
Geneva: 18 June 2023
The Egyptian social researcher and human rights defender, Patrick George Zaki, said that he submitted a new request to the Egyptian Public Prosecutor, demanding to be allowed to travel to Italy to attend the defense ceremony for his master’s thesis before the University of Bologna, which is scheduled for the first week of next July, stressing his plans to return to Egypt before his trial sessions, which are scheduled for July 18.
New demands and new hopes:
“Great news that might be fulfilled by resolving the travel ban crisis. Today, I submitted the final copy of my master’s thesis at the University of Bologna, after four years since the beginning of this long and challenging journey. The university administration has informed me that the scheduled date for defending the thesis will be either the fourth, fifth, or sixth of the upcoming month of July, according to the university’s regulations,” Zaki wrote on Facebook.
“Accordingly, I decided to take legal paths and knock on doors again to try to travel to attend the master’s defense in person before the committee of professors who will evaluate the thesis,” he continued.
“I hope that the voice of reason and wisdom will prevail this time, and that I will be allowed to travel, and that my future will not be disrupted any more,” Zaki added.
Calls to ensure the safety of human rights defenders:
CFJ calls on the Egyptian authorities to deal humanely with the case of the Egyptian social researcher and human rights defender, Patrick George Zaki, and to allow him to travel to attend the defense ceremony for his master’s thesis before the University of Bologna, while taking adequate legal guarantees in this regard.
CFJ also called for the cessation of exceptional repressive practices against human rights defenders in Egypt; Given their legitimate exercise of human rights defense work, with the need for the authorities in Egypt to ensure the security and safety of human rights defenders while practicing their legitimate peaceful human rights work.