Christian Entity Welcomes Presidential Pardon of Egyptian Lawyer, Human Rights Activist

“We also continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained on similarly excessive charges in relation to the exercise of their right to freedom of expression,” he says.

Mr. Zaki was arrested and questioned in July 2019 after publishing the article, “Displacement, killing and oppression: The outcomes of a week of the daily life of Egyptian Copts” in which he describes his life as a Christian in the northeastern African country.

He was detained in February 2020 and spent 22 months in detention before he was released on bail in December last year. 

On Wednesday, July 19, CSW Founder President had described Mr. Zaki’s sentencing as “deeply disappointing” and called on Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to pardon him.  

In the July 20 report, CSW Founder President also calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained on similarly excessive charges in relation to the exercise of their right to freedom of expression.”

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The European Union (EU) has also welcomed the pardon of the two saying it is “a positive development for EU-Egypt relations,” Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano, has said in a July 19 statement. 

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.