Official Statement of the GEMMA Consortium regarding Patrick Zaki's release from prison last Wednesday December 8, 2021.
The Erasmun Mundus Master's Degree in Women's and Gender Studies (GEMMA), coordinated by the University of Granada (Spain) with the participation of the University of Bologna, Central European University, University of Lodz, University of Oviedo, University of Utrecht and University of York and supported by the European Union, expresses its relief and satisfaction at the recent release of our student Patrick Zaki, who was detained in Egypt on February 7, 2020 and has been unjustly kept in prison for 22 months awaiting trial. The court has decided to release him with the case adjourned to February 1, 2022.
Today, Internatonal Human Rights Day, we want to express our gratitude to all the people who have been relentlessly working for Patrick's release during the past months: the GEMMA partner universities, especially the University of Bologna which has led the movement of salidarity with Patrick; to the respective national and international NGOs and authorities and the European Commission, who have doneall in their power to guarantee Patrick's return to our community; to the GEMMA students and staff who have demonstrated that GEMMAnism is not only an academic network, but rather a community of solidarity and commitment to human right, to the "Voices for Patrick initiative who made Patrick's voice heard through all his friends and supperters, and to all the individuals who have been part of the numerous demonstrations and actions asking for Patrick's freedom since the beginning of this process.
This is a first step for Patrick's final liberation, but let us not forget that the charges against him have not been with drawn. We will continue working until he is finally acquitted et all charges against him and he can resume his studies in GEMMA and obtain his Erasmus Mundus Master's Degrees.
- The University of Granada. Spain (GEMMA consortium coordinator)
- The University of Bologna. Italy
- Central European Univarsity, Austria
- The University of Lodz, Poland.
- The University of Oviedo. Spain
- Utrecht University, The Nethertands
- The University of York. United Kingdom