There has been "no cooperation
whatsoever" from Eguptian authorities on the alleged abduction,
torture and murder in Cairo in early 2016 of Italian Cambridge
University doctoral researcher Giulio Regeni, according to a
justice ministry note issued for a hearing into the four
Egyptian security officers accused in the case.
The note described the stance of Egyptian authorities as one of
"total closure" on the case of the 28-year-old Friuli-born
researcher into Egyptian street-seller unions, who was tortured
so badly his mother said she only recognised him by the tip of
his nose.
Italy is trying to notify the four officers of their indictments
in order for the case to proceed with their trial in absentia,
which ran into a brick wall last year after Cairo refused to
help locate them.
Regeni, whose research topic was a politically sensitive issue,
was tortured for days, resulting in "acute physical suffering"
by being subjected to kicks, punches, beaten with sticks and
bats and cut with sharp objects, and also being burned with
red-hot objects and slammed into walls, Rome prosecutors say.
His neck was then snapped in a fatal blow.
At various times Egypt has advanced differing explanations for
Regeni's death including a car accident, a gay lovers' tiff and
abduction and murder by an alleged kidnapping gang that was
wiped out after Regeni's documents were planted in their lair.
Lack of cooperation on the case by Egypt led to Rome's
temporarily withdrawing its ambassador from Cairo for a spell.
The Regenis have appealed to the EU for help in finding the
truth about their son's slaying and have condemned continued
Italian arms sales to Egypt including two frigates.
In mid-February, after European Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European
Commission Spokesperson Dana Spinant said the EU has asked and
continues to ask for full cooperation from the Egyptian
authorities with the
Italian authorities in investigating the circumstances of
Regeni's death.
National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates,
Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Uhsam Helmi, and Major
Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, were on trial at the third Court
of Assizes in Rome when a judge ruled the trial could not
proceed because they had not been served notice of it.
Hence the continued Italian efforts to contact them and inform
them they have been indicted.
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