Egypt denies police involvement in Italian pupil homicide

Egypt’s prime prosecutor on Wednesday cleared 5 policemen of accountability within the torture and killing of Italian pupil Giulio Regeni in 2016.
State prosecutor Hamada al-Sawy mentioned that Egypt has no intention of “pursuing a criminal case in the murder, abduction and torture of Giulio Regeni because the perpetrator is unknown.”
While investigators will proceed to seek for the assassin, the prosecution has “ruled out” any costs in opposition to the 5 in reference to the case, he added.
The prosecution didn’t provide an alternate suspect.

Egypt-Italy relations strained
The 28-year-old Cambridge University graduate was in Egypt researching commerce unions when he was kidnapped in January 2016. His mutilated physique was later discovered on the outskirts of Cairo. Regeni had additionally written articles crucial of the Egyptian authorities beneath a pen identify.
The prosecution mentioned Regeni’s mother and father had instantly collected their son’s belongings from his Cairo residence after the announcement of his demise, together with his laptop computer. It added that the Italian aspect had rejected requests handy over Regeni’s laptop computer for inspection.
The assertion additionally advised that the unknown perpetrator had intentionally chosen January 25 — the anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 Arab Spring rebellion — for the killing, in an try to border police for the crime.
The resolution got here practically three weeks after Italian prosecutors had mentioned they deliberate to cost 4 Egyptian officers over the homicide of Regeni.
On December 10, Italian public prosecutor Michele Prestipino advised a parliamentary fee in Rome there have been “elements of significant proof” implicating Egyptian authorities.
“We are going to ask to begin a criminal action concerning certain members of the Egyptian security services,” he mentioned. “We owe it to the memory of Giulio Regeni,” he added.

Regeni’s demise has strained diplomatic relations between Egypt and Italy, with Rome accusing Egyptian authorities of non-cooperation.
Italy has rejected a number of theories from Egypt, together with that Regeni had been working as a spy, or that he was the sufferer of a felony gang.