Detention of Patrick Zaki
| Date | February 7, 2020 – July 19, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Location | Egypt |
| Type | Arbitrary detention |
| Arrests | Patrick George Zaki |
| Charges | "Spreading false news," "inciting to protest," "incitement to violence and terrorist crimes" |
| Sentence | 3 years in prison (pardoned by presidential decree) |
Patrick George Zaki is a Coptic Egyptian who was a postgraduate student at the University of Bologna, Italy, when he was detained in Egypt from 7 February 2020 until 9 December 2021. Zaki was pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in Women and Gender Studies at the University of Bologna. He also has conducted research and advocacy on gender issues and human rights for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a human rights organization based in Cairo.
On 9 December 2021, Zaki was released from prison, although the charges against him were not dropped. Zaki was eventually sentenced to three years in prison on 18 July 2023, but was pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and released the following day.