The United States has called on Egypt to release rights researcher Patrick Zaki after a court sentenced him Tuesday to three years in prison for an article he wrote.
The court in the Nile Delta city of Mansoura convicted Zaki of “disseminating false news” for the article in which he described discrimination faced by Christians in Egypt.
“Concerned by 3-year sentence of Egyptian human rights defender Patrick Zaki,” the U.S. State Department tweeted. “Urge immediate release of him and others unjustly detained. Egyptians must be able to freely express themselves w/o fear of reprisal. Human rights progress is essential to strengthen bilateral relations.”
Zaki was studying as a graduate student in Italy when he was arrested during a visit to Egypt in February 2020. He spent 22 months in detention before his trial.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.