From above, Cairo is a long, interminable, blinding sequence of lights: those that make Africa’s largest megalopolis, the sixth largest in the world, shine. Over 20 million people flock to the most international of Middle Eastern cities, where time passes between the calls of the muezzins and the crowds of tourists who throng around the pyramids. In this extraordinary forest of lights, there is one that turns out to be somehow twinned with our country. It shines in a neighborhood that is just twenty minutes from Tahrir Square, where in 1919 the Egyptians demonstrated against the United Kingdom which occupied their lands and in 2011 the Arab Spring throbbed, which ended with the ousting of the thirty-year-old regime of Hosni Mubarak.
This light shines in the heart of Bologna, and belongs to researcher and human rights activist Patrick Zaki, imprisoned for a 2019 article in which he defended the Copts, underlining the bloody persecutions by ISIS in previous years and two cases of discrimination social and legal. A student at the University of Bologna, Zaki was arrested in February 2020 at Cairo airport – where he had landed from Italy to visit relatives – on very serious charges, such as threatening national security, inciting illegal protests, subverting .
Here – as Amnesty International pointed out – he was “blindfolded and handcuffed, beaten on the stomach and back and tortured with electric shocks by National Security Agency (NSA) agents who interrogated him about his work on human rights during the his stay in Egypt and on the purpose of his residence in Italy”. Thus began the nightmare. Released in December 2021, after 22 months of pre-trial detention spent in a cell, today Zaki lives in Cairo where he spends his days personally committing himself to human rights.
However, his fate is still pending judgment. We meet him – this 32-year-old from Mansoura, with a crown of rough curls and dark eyes that move rapidly behind a light frame – in the embassy district. We sit down in a Lebanese place whose terrace overlooks the Nile, which flows placidly with mercury reflections between hyper-modern skyscrapers and shacks. He smiles, he’s very thin: «I’m on a diet, I try to control my diet because I don’t move much». He tells his story in English: «I want to learn Italian, I have three hours of lessons a week, but it’s difficult with all these verbs to conjugate!».
«The only thing I wanted to do with that article – he says – was to highlight the life of a minority in my country. When my case went viral, my existence changed and I, who was interested in the rights of others, saw mine denied”. Sometimes there are things in life that change everything. Hopelessly. And that’s how Zaki – a boy passionate about football and evenings with friends, a degree in pharmacy – finds himself at the center of international attention. “Here in Egypt – he explains – people know my story, but in prison there are hundreds of activists who have not had my luck. Many Egyptians believe that these are inside because, encouraged by European countries and the United States, they actually support terrorist groups. Protecting minorities, such as religious or gender, is not one of the central concerns of Egyptian culture. Luckily there are people who choose to support me every day. I feel the support of the Copts in my country very strongly. But it hasn’t always been like this.”
In what sense?
«At the beginning, when I dealt with minorities, those close to me told me to stop. Over time, however, they understood. And now they are the first to support me because they have understood how important it is for all human beings to be respected in the same way».
In Italy you have become a symbol for the support of human rights. Is this also the case in Egypt?
«I’m not a public figure for the Egyptians, but young people are very interested in this topic and often write to me because they want to meet me, they want to understand, they want to study. However, making a comparison between Egypt and Italy is not correct. Egypt is not at the same stage of democracy, concern for human rights, freedom of thought or speech. Now in Egypt the situation from an economic point of view is critical».
How does Italy look to you seen from here?
«I arrived in Italy as an Arab, as an African, but in a privileged way. However, I believe that everyone should have the same right to pursue their dream, and to do so in safety. This is why I hope to be able to return to Bologna soon. I want to give back to Italy all the affection and support it has given me over the years”.
He speaks almost like a politician…
“If becoming a politician will give me the chance to improve the lives of minorities and improve the human rights situation, I will. I am first and foremost an activist and this is my passion.
What do you think of the current government policy in Italy?
“The new government’s policy towards migrants is disturbing. More work needs to be done to find adequate solutions. Only those who have no hope embark on the open sea. Today Italy is one of the easiest places to reach for those looking for an escape. Stopping immigration is impossible. Instead, we need to look for a solution. And then it must be said that black people, and I speak in first person, are often discriminated against. It would be important to have an inclusive attitude, and to teach it to the younger ones. I’d like to go back to Bologna precisely to fight against racism, in favor of ethnic minorities and the LGBT+ community. I think this is the task of those who are lucky enough to have a voice thanks to people: to express themselves and fight for everyone’s rights”.
Has Italy really supported you in these difficult years?
“Absolutely. This makes me feel very lucky. From Bologna, the city to which I am so deeply attached and which I consider to be an outpost for human rights throughout the country, I have had great support. And the same was true of both left and right political forces. When Giorgia Meloni came to Cairo, she spoke about my case ».
From your point of view, what are the relations between Egypt and Italy today?
«It is a very close relationship, supported by Italy’s energy needs. It is a dialogue which, given the current crisis, cannot be interrupted despite my situation, or that of Giulio Regeni”.
His life changed for an article in which he told the fate of the Coptic minority.
«I wanted to tell the discrimination to which the Copts are subjected, and I did so by verifying word by word. Today the Egyptian government seems interested in understanding what has happened and in changing things. Deep down, though, I fear it’s just a facade. In Egypt, power in every segment of society continues to be the prerogative of Muslims, while Christians are unable to hold significant positions. Maybe they have a ministry, like that of immigration, a pity that it doesn’t count for anything”.
Did you ever regret writing this story?
“No. I’m not a journalist, I didn’t want to make any scandal or scoop. I just wanted to tell, as a researcher, the obvious problems afflicting the Coptic community in Egypt».
However, he ended up in prison.
“Prison is something you don’t forget. An hour in prison takes years to digest. I spent two years in jail. It was tough. Every now and then I have flashbacks of what happened, terrible moments where my mind takes me back. Prison stays inside you, and devastates you. I’m trying my best to move forward, to forget, but still today my life continues to be uncertain.
She is awaiting trial. The next hearing in the State Security Court for misdemeanors will be held on May 9, and she is in danger of returning to prison for another three years.
“I have to wait. In the meantime, I feel lucky compared to the many activists still in prison. However, what I experience is not full freedom ».
Why?
“I can’t travel, I can’t rent a house since I don’t know what will happen tomorrow or next year, I can’t have a permanent job since nobody would hire someone who risks going to prison at any moment, I can’t plan my existence in either the short or long term. Not even personal ones.”
What was it like coming home after detention?
«Once in the cell, I was convinced that I would stay there for at least five years, as often happens. Then the government decided to release many activists and journalists, something that had never happened before. When I was released, I was lost. For two years, I had only seen one person a week. Suddenly dozens of people were looking for me who wanted to talk to me and know my story. And then there were the nightmares. I dreamed of being imprisoned in a room that no one, starting with me, was able to open. For days I slept with my bedroom door open. Even though I needed privacy, I left it wide open.”
And now?
“It’s not easy to move forward. Those who are incarcerated spend all their time wondering: when will I be released? Luckily I had some books, which kept me company».
What was he reading?
«The novels of Elena Ferrante. I’ve never liked books that go into meticulous descriptions, but I’ve changed my mind. The story of the details, of the streets, of the perfumes kept me company, and somehow saved… In prison, you know, there are only three colors».
Which?
«The white of the prisoners’ uniforms, the blue worn by those who have had a final verdict and the green of the cell walls. It’s a seemingly silly thing, but living with only three colors for so long killed my imagination. I don’t want to dramatize, but that’s how it is. Since I left, I began to appreciate the details of everyday life».
For example?
“The sun. Some fresh food. An ice cold drink.’
