Italian Man Sentenced to Life in Egyptian Prison for Marijuana Possession
Luigi Giacomo Passeri, a 31-year-old man from Pescara, Italy, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Egypt due to his conviction for possession of marijuana. Though he was reported to serve 25 years behind bars, the announcement has stunned his family, who have been advocating for his plight since his arrest in August of last year.
Passeri’s sentence was delivered in a court session that he did not attend, according to his brothers, who worked tirelessly to bring attention to his case over recent weeks. The family has made urgent appeals to the Italian government, urging them to intervene on behalf of Passeri, particularly because of the harsh and degrading conditions he is reportedly subjected to while imprisoned.
Local media began reporting on Passeri’s case in July following a fundraising campaign organized by his brothers to help cover his legal costs. The situation gained further momentum when it was presented in a parliamentary inquiry led by Marco Grimaldi, deputy group leader of the Green and Left Alliance in the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
Since his arrest, which occurred while Passeri was vacationing in Cairo, his family has had very limited contact with him. They last directly communicated with him on August 23 of last year, the very day of his detention. Since then, they have only received a single phone call and a handful of letters. In these communications, Passeri has expressed concerns about mistreatment and has shared troubling details about the inadequate medical care he received after undergoing an appendectomy.
Passeri’s situation reportedly stems from his possession of a small quantity of marijuana, which was meant for personal use. However, documents obtained by his family indicate that the charges extended beyond possession to include drug trafficking, complicating the legal landscape surrounding his case. His family has pieced this information together from the limited Arabic documents provided by the Egyptian police.
Currently, Passeri is incarcerated in Badr prison, located north of Cairo. His brothers have reported a troubling trend in his trial proceedings, noting that hearings have been consistently postponed due to the absence of prosecution witnesses, raising questions about the fairness of the judicial process he has faced.
The family’s distress over Passeri’s sentence signifies a broader concern regarding the treatment of foreign nationals in legal systems that may differ significantly from their home countries. As the Italian government takes note of this troubling case, the hope remains that diplomatic efforts can address the dire conditions faced by Passeri and potentially lead to a reconsideration of his sentence.
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