EN-ES-IT Letter to HRVP Patrick Zaki Egypt
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Brussels, 6th July 2020 Mr Josep Borrell High Representative High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200 1040 Brussels, Belgium SUBJECT: The unfair detention and the worrying situation of the Erasmus Mundus student Patrick George Zaki in Egypt. Dear HR/VP, Josep Borrell We are writing to you to express our concern about the worrying situation and the unfair detention of the Erasmus Mundus student Patrick George Zaki in Egypt. By this letter, we would like to join our voices to those calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Egyptian Erasmus Student Patrick Zaki, including civil society organizations and the rectors of the universities of Bologna, Granada or Utrecht, among others. We call on the Egyptian authorities to grant amnesty and to include Patrick Zaki among the potential defendants released in the context of COVID-19, due to with his exceptional health circumstances and the continuous administrative postponement and refusal to transfer Patrick Zaki and other prisoners to court in his presence and that of his attorneys. Many human rights organizations have reported suspected coronavirus cases detected in Tora Prison, where authorities would not have implemented the necessary containment, health and protection measures. This implies a complicated scenario for someone like Mr Zaki, who suffers from asthma and whose life is strongly put in danger. Patrick Zaki is an Egyptian citizen and human rights activist who is taking part in the GEMMA Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree. He is specialising in Women’s and Gender Studies, at the Universities of Granada and Bologna, thanks to an Erasmus Mundus excellence scholarship. On 7th February 2020, he was arbitrarily arrested by airport immigration officers upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport, where he was travelling to visit his family in Mansoura, his hometown. Patrick Zaki is a researcher unfairly detained for his political opinions and his human rights endeavour. According to different sources, following his detention, Patrick Zaki was interrogated and tortured by National Security Agency officers before he appeared in front of the prosecutor on 8th February 2020. From that moment on, Mr Zaki has experienced how his custody was progressively extended and renewed, usually even without him or his attorneys’ presence by citing a force majeure event with the excuse of COVID-19. On 28th June, was supposed to appear before a judge for remand. However, the date of the hearing was again postponed. After more than 150 days held in preventive detention, Mr Zaki has been detained without being able to defend himself since the 7th March. In addition, visitations in prisons are suspended since 10th March. This is not the first time that Egyptian authorities use perverse techniques to criminalise dissent. The tragic death of the young filmmaker, Shady Habash in Tora Prison, is another worrying example of an innocent person waiting for a fair trial that never happened. The release of some prisoners in different countries, in the context of COVID19, proves how governments are well aware of the impact that an uncontrollable outbreak could have in prisons. This fact clearly shows that the lives of those who were accused blamelessly are in serious danger, as it is the case of Patrick Zaki who, also, suffers from asthma. COVID- 19, as repeatedly raised by the international community, cannot be an excuse for increased repression, torture or violations of fundamental rights such as effective judicial protection. The European Parliament has expressed several times its concerns on the situation of human rights in Egypt, particularly of those arbitrarily detained. On 23th October 2019, the EP adopted a resolution on Egypt (2019/2880RSP), which condemned the detention of human rights defenders and clearly pointed out how pre-trial preventive detention and precautionary measures are excessively used in order to prevent them and their lawyers from carrying out their legitimate human rights work in Egypt. In this regard, EP President David Sassoli called - back in February- for the immediate release of Patrick Zaki, and he stated how yourself, in your capacity as HR/VP assured that this matter would be raised within the Foreign Affairs Council. In parallel, HR/VP Josep Borrell, you also pointed out how the EU delegation and EU Member States’ embassies in Cairo are attending hearings on Mr Zaki’s pre-trial detention. On 28th May, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr Eamon Gilmore, declared in a letter his commitment to following up the situation of Mr Zaki and other human rights defenders detained and to specifically call on Egyptian authorities for his release in the context of the pandemic, in close collaboration with the European External Action Service. Dear HR/VP, Erasmus Programme has been regarded as one of the most successful initiatives to promote EU core values: respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and rule of law. Different international students attend courses at European universities each year under Erasmus+ programme, making our universities more diverse and vibrant. The detention of Patrick Zaki during the course of his fellowship represents a threat to these values and the EU’s failure to act on this case would entail an undesirable precedent. This is an opportunity to put an end to this grave injustice, helping to ensure that Patrick Zaki can go back to his normal life and resume his Erasmus Scholarship. We, therefore, urge you to make use of foreign policy instruments available to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Erasmus student Patrick George Zaki. Yours sincerely, Soraya Rodríguez Ramos - MEP Renew Europe, DROI Coordinator Signatures: Hannah Neumann - MEP The Greens, DROI Coordinator Raphael Glucksmann - MEP S&D, Vice-Chair DROI Subcommittee Milan Zver - MEP EPP, Standing Rapporteur on Erasmus+ Mounir Satouri - MEP The Greens, Standing Rapporteur on Egypt Adrian Vázquez Lázara, MEP Renew Europe Pierfrancesco Majorino, MEP S&D Miriam Lexmann, MEP EPP Susana Solis Perez, MEP Renew Europe Olivier Chastel, MEP Renew Europe Maite Pagazaurtundua, MEP Renew Europe Jose Ramón Bauzá, MEP Renew Europe Milan Brglez, MEP S&D Nicolae Ștefănuță, MEP Renew Europe Hilde Vautmans, MEP Renew Europe Irène Tolleret , MEP Renew Europe Luis Garicano, MEP Renew Europe Idoia Villanueva, MEP GUE/NGL Karen Melchior , MEP Renew Europe Brando Benifei, MEP S&D Sophie in 't Veld , MEP Renew Europe Helmit Scholz, MEP GUE/NGL Giorgos Georgiou, MEP GUE/NGL Ilana Cicurel, MEP Renew Europe Tanja Fajon, MEP S&D Fabio Massimo Castaldo, MEP Non-attached Members Yana Toom, MEP Renew Europe Ernest Urtasun, MEP The Greens Javier Nart, MEP Renew Europe Laurence Farreng, MEP Renew Europe Vlad-Marius Botoș, MEP Renew Europe Nikolaj Villumsen, MEP GUE/NGL Rosa D'amato, MEP Non-attached Members Nicola Danti, MEP Renew Europe Jordi Cañas , MEP Renew Europe Giuseppina Picierno, MEP S&D Massimiliano Smeriglio, MEP S&D Ville Niinistö, MEP The Greens Giuliano Pisapia, MEP S&D Alexandra Geese, MEP The Greens Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP S&D Eleonora Evi, MEP Non-attached Members Patrizia Toia, MEP S&D ES VERSION - La injusta detención y preocupante situación del estudiante Erasmus egipcio Patrick Zaki Estimado AR/VP, Josep Borrell Le escribimos con el objetivo de expresarle nuestra preocupación por la injusta detención del estudiante de Erasmus Mundus Patrick George Zaki en Egipto. A través de esta carta, quisiéramos unir nuestras voces a aquellas que piden la liberación inmediata e incondicional del estudiante egipcio de Erasmus Mundus Patrick Zaki incluyendo aquellas de la sociedad civil, incluyendo a los rectores de las universidades de Bolonia, Granada o Utrecht entre otras. Pedimos a las autoridades egipcias que concedan una amnistía y que incluyan a Patrick Zaki entre los posibles acusados liberados en el contexto de COVID-19, debido a sus excepcionales circunstancias de salud y al continuo aplazamiento administrativo y la negativa a trasladar a Patrick Zaki y a otros prisioneros al tribunal en presencia tanto suya como de sus abogados. Numerosas organizaciones de derechos humanos han informado de presuntos casos de coronavirus detectados en la prisión de Tora, donde las autoridades no habrían aplicado las medidas de contención, salud y protección necesarias. Esto implica un escenario complicado para una persona como el Sr. Zaki, que sufre de asma y cuya vida se encuentra en peligro. Patrick Zaki es un ciudadano egipcio, activista de los derechos humanos y alumno el Máster GEMMA Erasmus Mundus. Hasta su detención, se encontraba cursando un Máster de Estudios de Género, en las Universidades de Granada y Bolonia gracias a una beca de excelencia. El 7 de febrero de 2020 fue detenido arbitrariamente por agentes de inmigración del aeropuerto a su llegada al Aeropuerto Internacional de El Cairo, a donde viajaba para visitar a su familia en Mansoura, su ciudad natal. Patrick Zaki es un investigador y activista detenido injustamente por sus opiniones políticas y su carrera en defensa de los derechos humanos. Según diferentes fuentes, tras su detención Patrick Zaki fue interrogado y torturado por agentes de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional antes de comparecer ante el fiscal el 8 de febrero de 2020. A partir de ese momento, el Sr. Zaki ha visto cómo su detención preventiva ha sido progresivamente extendida y renovada, normalmente sin su propia presencia o la de sus abogados, alegando causas de fuerza mayor en el marco de la covid-19. El 28 de junio, supuestamente habría de haber comparecido un juez en audiencia en el marco de su prisión preventiva. Sin embargo, la fecha de la audiencia fue nuevamente pospuesta por la vía administrativa. Después de más de 150 días de prisión preventiva, el Sr. Zaki está detenido sin poder defenderse desde el pasado 7 de marzo.