Italy and Europe must up the
pressure on Egypt to obtain a transparent probe into the death
of Giulio Regeni, tortured and murdered in Cairo, his parents
said at the European Parliaments human rights commission
Wednesday.
Member States must recall their ambassadors and declare
Egypt an unsafe country, Paola and Claudio Regeni said.
"I don't understand whether Italy is still a friend of
Egypt or not: you don't kill the children of your friend", Paola
Regeni said.
Claudio Regeni said "we want to thank the European
Parliament for approving the resolution (to demand the truth
from Egypt".
"Now it is important that Egypt should feel a strong
pressure from Europe and all its member States in order to
obtain a transparent investigation.
"I ask the member States to recall their ambassadors,
declare Egypt an unsafe country, suspend accords on sending
weapons, inter-force (collaboration) on spying and internal
repression, suspend economic accords, monitor trials against
activists, militant lawyers and journalists fighting for freedom
in Egypt and offer protection and collaboration, also by
offering visas to those who can offer news to Rome prosecutors".
Regeni disappeared on January 25, the heavily policed fifth
anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled former strongman
Hosni Mubarak, and his mutilated body turned up in a ditch on
the road to Alexandria on February 3.
An autopsy confirmed Regeni had been severely tortured for
days on end, and ultimately killed by having his neck broken.
Egyptian authorities have offered up a series of
explanations of the incident, including a car crash, a gay
lovers' quarrel, and a kidnapping for ransom gone bad.
Italy has not found any of these versions convincing.
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