President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has stressed Egypt’s full commitment to uncover the circumstances of the murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni and bring the perpetrators to justice.
During a meeting with Italian parliament delegation headed by Senate Defense Committee Chair Nicola Latorre on Tuesday, Sisi stressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries’ investigation bodies on the issue.
Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University PhD candidate, disappeared on January 25, 2016 in central Cairo as police came out in full force in anticipation of protests. His body, bearing signs of torture, was later found along the side of the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road.
Regeni had been researching street vendor trade unions – a sensitive political issue in Egypt.
Egypt has forcefully denied that its police were involved in his abduction.
Police officials at first suggested Regeni might have died in a road accident. They have issued scant information about their investigation.
An Italian autopsy showed that Regeni’s body was covered with cuts and his bones were broken, indicating he had been hit with “fists, batons and hammers”.
Egypt-Italy relations have deteriorated since Regeni’s murder. Italy withdrew its ambassador to Egypt over the slow process and stilted investigations into Regeni’s brutal murder, which experts and officials widely believe was the work of state actors – despite staunch denials by Egypt’s government.
Sisi said during reception of the Italian delegation on Tuesday that the current threats facing the world require more coordination and joint cooperation to confront and eliminate them.
The delegation affirmed Italy’s support for Egypt in facing all the challenges, whether security or economical. The members of the Italian delegation praised Egypt’s efforts to restore stability in the region and settle the existing crises.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
