Egyptian activist and researcher Patrick George Zaky was detained upon arrival at Cairo International Airport last Friday and was questioned for more than 20 hours, friends of Patrick have said. The arrest sparked outrage among activists and social media users, with a petition launched on Change.org calling for his release. On Sunday night, Italian activists and Patrick’s colleagues organized a flash mob in Bologna, Italy, demanding Patrick’s release. Amnesty Italia released a statement expressing concern about his situation. The Italian foreign ministry said that Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio had asked the European Union to set up monitoring of Zaky’s case. According to authorities, Patrick is currently in detention for 15 days in Mansoura pending investigation into various allegations, including spreading rumors and false news and calling for the overthrow of the state. Who Is Patrick George? Patrick is a 28-year-old Egyptian student, activist and human rights researcher at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, a research university in Bologna, Italy. He studied pharmacy at the German University in Cairo. During that time, he was an advocate of student rights and an active member of the Student Union, where…
