Egyptian activist stands trial after 19-month detention

CAIRO (AP) — Lawyers say the trial of an Egyptian activist and researcher who has been imprisoned for over a year and a half has begun. His case has drawn significant international attention, particularly in Italy, where he studied, and has become a high-profile example of the country’s many people who are detained indefinitely without due process. Patrick George Zaki, 29, a human rights advocate and student at the University of Bologna in Italy, worked at one of Egypt’s most prominent human rights organizations. Zaki appeared Tuesday before a court in the Delta town of Mansoura to faces charges of spreading false news about Egypt domestically and abroad.