The Egyptian student
Patrick Zaki
will be released from prison "even if he has not been acquitted" of the charges: this was reported by some lawyers at the end of the hearing in Mansura to a group of reporters including the correspondent of ANSA.
THE EVENT: A CALVARY LASTED 22 MONTHS
Cheers from family and activists greeted the announcement of the release of Zaki, who was not in the courtroom at the time of the announcement.
His father, mother, sister, friends and some activists were waiting outside the courtroom.
Listen to "Zaki will be released, scream for joy in the courtroom" on Spreaker.
With a note from Palazzo Chigi, the Prime Minister, Mario
Draghi, expresses satisfaction
with the release of Patrick Zaki, whose story has been and will be followed with the utmost attention by the Italian government.
Zaki could be freed already today
, even if at the moment there are no certainties.
An Egyptian student lawyer reports this to ANSA, specifying that the student will first be transferred from Mansura to the Egyptian prison of Tora.
According to what is learned, Zaki was not required to sign in view of the next hearing, scheduled for February 1st.
The next hearing will be held
on February 1st
.
"We have learned that the decision is the release but we have no other details at the moment", explained the lawyer Hoda Nasrallah to ANSA.
THE VINEYARDS OF ZEROCALCARE AND ZUZU FOR LIBERATION
"A huge sigh of relief because the tunnel of
22 months in prison
ends
and we hope that this is the first step to then arrive at an acquittal". Thus Riccardo Noury, spokesman for Amnesty International Italia, comments to ANSA on the news of Patrick Zaki's release at the end of today's hearing in Egypt, even if he has not been acquitted of the charges concerning him. "The idea that Patrick could spend a night in a place other than prison after 22 months excites us and fills us with joy. Tonight we will go down to over ten Italian squares with a different and more optimistic mood".
"Well, well, thank you": raising his thumb, Patrick Zaki had replied before the verdict to an Italian diplomat who asked him how he was.
The student had answered from the defendant's cage.
It was learned that the diplomat was able to speak to him briefly to represent the closeness of the Italian institutions and
Patrick thanked for what Italy and the Embassy are doing
for him.
"The news we have been waiting for so long. Patrick Zaki will be released from prison. We hope to be able to embrace him again here in Bologna soon."
Matteo Lepore, mayor of the city, says so.