Egypt, NGO: Zaki again questioned, new accusations from the High Prosecutor's Office

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• Patrick Zaki, preventive detention extended again: another 45 days of imprisonment

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11 September 2021 The Office of the High Prosecutor's Office for State Security "held a new interrogation hearing with Patrick George Zaki". It took place on Thursday 9 September 2021 and the

Organization 

(

), one of the largest NGOs in Egypt, was

of it, engaged in the defense of political, civil, economic and social rights, with particular attention to rights and personal freedoms. Eipr is providing Patrick Zaki with legal support. The student of the University of Bologna is accused of threatening the stability of the state through posts published on Facebook, an accusation from which the researcher has always proclaimed himself innocent.

"The prosecution had summoned Zaki to complete the interrogation with him, initially on 13 July 2021, a year and a half after his arrest at Cairo airport in February 2020", recalls the EIPR for which Patrick was a researcher. gender. The NGO "fears that the two new investigative sessions may be a prelude to the indictment of Zaki, as has happened in recent months with other researchers and opinion makers", says the EIPR, adding that "if this prediction is true, then this postponement will be based on unfounded and fabricated accusations, based on a false indictment report, with no technical evidence confirming that Zaki owns these accounts "(Facebook for the posts of which he is detained). "This postponement will also come in light of the fact that theOffice of the Highest Attorney for State Security ignored repeated requests from the defense of Patrick "asking both to check" the surveillance cameras at Cairo airport to verify the tampering with the arrest report, and "to prove that the student "he had been intimidated, threatened and tortured with beatings and electric shocks by the national security forces in one of their offices".threatened and tortured with beatings and electric shocks by the national security forces in one of their offices ".threatened and tortured with beatings and electric shocks by the national security forces in one of their offices ".

, spokesman for 

, reported on Twitter of the second interrogation of Zaki, citing sources inside the NGO Egyptian Initiative for personal rights (Eipr), writing: "Patrick Zaki has been interrogated for the second time since 13 July. Now he is also charged with writings dating back to 2013. Is the Cairo prosecutor preparing the (false) 'papers' for the trial? ". 

"We continue to work every day, we did it during the Conte 2 government, we continue to do so as the Farnesina in this government and we continue to pursue the goal: as soon as possible to free Patrick Zaki and give him back all his rights ". Luigi Di Maio, Foreign Minister, said this during a meeting in the center of Bologna together with the leader of the M5s Giuseppe Conte. "His city" Di Maio said when asked about the young student-researcher at the Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna detained in Egypt "has tightened around him more and more. I have always spoken with Bonaccini, with the mayor and the councilor Lepore .We will continue to work in close harmony with civil society and the authorities - concluded the Foreign Minister - and we just have to put all our energy into it and we have to bring home the goal. Patrick Zaki has to go back to his family. "