Italy's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ended a stalemate on the trial in absentia in Italy of four Egyptian intelligence officers on suspicion of torturing to death Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in early 2016.
The top court ruled that the trial could proceed even though the officers have not been informed of the proceedings against them, as Cairo has refused to cooperate on the case.
Regeni, a 28-year-old Friuli born Cambridge University doctoral researcher into Cairo street seller unions, was tortured to death in Egypt between January 25 and February 3 2016.
His work on Egyptian trade unions was politically sensitive and his body was so badly mutilated his mother only recognised him by the tip of his nose.
A Rome judge had asked the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the trial can proceed without the presence of the four Egyptian security agents who have been charged in Italy with his murder and without any proof that they know they are on trial.
The Egyptian authorities have not cooperated with Italian efforts to formally notify the suspects that they are on trial, which had prevented proceedings moving forward.
Efforts to notify the four officers - National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif - have been unsuccessful and Egypt has not cooperated by handing over their contact details and legal abodes.
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