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January 18, 2021 The outcome of the hearing on the renewal of pre-trial detention for Patrick Zaki, the student of the University of Bologna in prison for almost a year in Egypt for almost a year in Egypt on charges of subversive propaganda on the internet, will be announced tomorrow. rejected.



Now Zaki faces another 45 days in prison in Cairo.

His lawyer, Hoda Nasrallah, told Ansa: "The decision will be known tomorrow," he said on the phone.

"The official was absent and there was no replacement," he added, referring to the officer of the Prosecutor's Office who should have communicated the outcome of the hearing held yesterday.

Asked if the official could be absent tomorrow, the lawyer replied: "I don't think so."



The 29-year-old was arrested in controversial circumstances on February 7 and, according to Amnesty, faces up to 25 years in prison.

Pre-trial detention in Egypt can last for two years.

After an initial five-month phase of fortnightly renewals delayed by the Covid emergency, now Patrick's case is in that of 45-day extensions.



The charges against him are based on ten posts from a Facebook account that his lawyers consider fake but which have configured, among other things, the "spread of false news, incitement to protest and incitement to violence and terrorist crimes. ".

Allegations that Patrick and his lawyers reject.

The Egyptian student was studying at the Bolognese Alma Mater in a two-year Master's in gender studies. 



"On the story of Patrick Zaki cruelties are layering one after the other".

Not only "eleven months of illegal and arbitrary detention without trial, without being able to contest the evidence" but also yesterday, the day of the hearing, "ten hours locked in the courtroom even when his case had been dealt with, because all the others had to be dealt with" .

Patrick was therefore "ten hours without drinking, without eating and without going to the bathroom".



This was reported by Riccardo Noury, spokesman for Amnesty International Italia.

"Today - adds Noury ​​- when it was assumed they would communicate the outcome of the hearing, nothing, because there is no employee who knows how to give the lawyer the information. It is really cruelty to the cube towards Patrick".



On the Facebook page the activists of "Patrick Libero" underline that they do not yet know the court decision on the detention of Patrick.

"After waiting more than ten hours in court yesterday, and today from noon to evening, the lawyers still don't know the decision."

An "infinite wait - add the activists - that conditions our lives and Patrick's destiny".