THE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. This day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, the same day and year when a milestone document in the history of human rights was adopted: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This document is like a global road map for freedom and equality – protecting the rights of every individual, everywhere. Its adoption recognises human rights to be the foundation for freedom, justice and peace. It is the most translated document around the globe available in over 500 languages.

Despite the efforts to protect human rights, the hostility toward human rights and those who defend them continues to rise. It is the case of Patrick George Zacky: a 29- year- old human rights activist who wrote about his experiences as a Coptic Christian in Egypt and then has gone on trial on the charge of spreading false news.

Mr Zaki had been studying for a master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Bologna when he decided to return to Egypt for a short family visit.

He was arrested in February 2020 at Cairo airport upon his return from Italy, where he had been studying.

His lawyers said he was condemned just for expressing his opinion. They also alleged that he was subjected to torture, including electric shocks while being questioned about his activism and the EIPR, which is one of Egypt’s leading human rights organisations. The Egyptian government has denied that security forces torture or mistreat detainees in Tora prison in Cairo.

Detention without trial and the impossibility to defend himself is one of the most unjust violations of fundamental human rights after nearly two years he was released from prison. The court decision to release him is based on the fact that he has not yet been acquitted of the charges for which he has been held prisoner up to now. He is now on the loose, but still on trial, with the next hearing set for February 1st.

 

The University of Bologna together with the Italian Government, associations and international movements have been fighting since day one, since that remote 7 February 2020, to see Patrick Zaki’s rights respected and to reaffirm our support for fundamental human rights, freedom of speech and teaching, and the incomparable value of critical thinking.

 

The key values that lie at the core of the idea of human rights are human dignity and equality. Human rights can be understood as defining those basic standards which are necessary for a life of dignity.

Human rights exist for us all. So how can we make use of them? It is clear that their mere existence is not enough to put an end to human rights violations, since we all know that these are committed every day, in every part of the globe.

The key values that lie at the core of the idea of human rights are human dignity and equality. Human rights can be understood as defining those basic standards which are necessary for a life of dignity