Italy to investigate Egypt officers in Regeni torture, murder case

Italian authorities will investigate seven Egyptian secret service agents in relation to the brutal torture and murder of Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni whose body was found dumped on the side of a street in Egypt two years ago, Italy’s ANSA news agency reported.

This week an Italian delegation met for the 10th time with Egyptian investigators as part of efforts to reveal the circumstances of Regeni’s death.

Italian student and researcher Giulio Regeni [File photo]

According to the Egyptian statement, the Italian delegation presented the results of its investigations about the doctoral research conducted by Regeni in Egypt while the Egyptians discussed the results of their technical examination of the subway stations surveillance cameras which were taken from the area where Regeni was abducted.

The statement added that the two parties agreed that the investigations are going well, and that they will do everything in their power to find the perpetrators.

The Egyptian Attorney General issued a decision in May to hand over a copy of the records to Italian investigators as well as various documents related to the investigation, but the video records contained gaps and dark areas.

READ: Egypt, Italy investigators say ‘gaps’ found in Regeni case footage

The 28-year-old Italian, who was studying for a PhD, disappeared in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in January 2016 whilst researching activities of anti-government trade unions.

His naked corpse was found in a ditch in Cairo the following month. His research was said to have attracted the suspicion of the Cairo government before his disappearance from a metro station on 25 January, nine days before his body was found.

Egypt admitted that Regeni was under surveillance by the Egyptian police but denied involvement in the incident.

READ: Egypt security forces target Regeni family’s legal team