"May peace, serenity, love reign on this holy day in our hearts and enlighten our lives and that of my colleagues, my friends and my dear Bologna, my adopted land. Merry Christmas greetings to the whole 'Italy!".
This is the message of good wishes from Patrick Zaki, tweeted on the evening of Christmas Eve, his first holidays in freedom after being in prison in Egypt for almost two years.
The student from the University of Bologna was released from prison on 8 December, pending a hearing scheduled for 1 February.
His family is of Coptic religion and will celebrate Christmas on January 7th.