(ANSA) - CAIRO, DEC 14 - Informed Egyptian sources who asked for anonymity have reported that Patrick Zaki is on a black-list that will prevent him from going to Italy before the end of the trial and an acquittal. "Yes, he is on the black list", the sources told ANSA, contradicting what Patrick said recently on TV. "He will not be able to leave until after the end of the trial", they added, admitting that they do not know whether the researcher has a passport or not: "But it doesn't matter, because he is forbidden to travel" abroad, he reiterated.
Interviewed by Fabio Fazio at Che tempo che fa Sunday evening, Patrick instead said he was sure he had no travel ban for the moment. "I think I can come to Italy as soon as possible",the student then added.
The next hearing in the trial where the Egyptian student from the University of Bologna is accused of "spreading false news inside and outside the country" is set for February 1st and there are no reliable predictions on the length of the trial. On this occasion the defense should present a previously announced defensive brief.
In the December 7 hearing in which he obtained his incarceration the next day, his chief lawyer, Hoda Nasrallah, requested the acquisition of surveillance cameras at the Cairo airport, a report by the internal secret services and a report of police to prove that between 7 and 8 February two years ago Patrick was illegally arrested.
The head of the defense pool also requested the records of an old trial and the summoning of a witness to prove that the article written by Zakinon was false.
The activist faces another 5 years in prison in addition to the 22 months already spent in custody.
(HANDLE).