Egypt pursues criminal investigation into Egyptian academic studying in Italy

The Egyptian public prosecutor’s office is pursuing a criminal investigation into an Egyptian researcher studying in Italy on charges of spreading fake news that posed a threat to security and social stability, it said on Sunday.

Patrick Zaki, a graduate student at the University of Bologna, was arrested on Feb. 7 when he arrived at Cairo airport on a visit to see his family, according a statement the following day from the Cairo-based Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) where he is also a researcher.

Zaki is being investigated over charges of “broadcasting false news aimed at disrupting security and social peace and for using the internet to disrupt public order and endanger society,” the prosecutor’s statement said.

An EIPR lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Zaki denied all charges and that his client had mostly been questioned about his human rights work when he was living in Egypt.

The prosecutor’s statement said there “were no visible signs of injuries” on Zaki while he was being questioned, and that Zaki himself denied the existence of any injuries.