The trial of f
The trial of four Egyptian security officials accused of the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in 2016 has commenced in Rome. The accused, who firmly deny the charges, will be tried in absentia.
Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old doctoral student at Cambridge University, disappeared during a research trip in Egypt. His mutilated body was discovered days later in a ditch near Cairo, with an autopsy revealing signs of torture. The incident strained relations between Italy and Egypt, with Rome repeatedly accusing Cairo of impeding the pursuit of justice for Regeni’s death.
Originally scheduled for October 2021, the trial was suspended due to difficulties locating the defendants to serve them the charges. However, in a significant development, Italy’s constitutional court ruled in September that the trial could proceed in the absence of the accused.
Regeni’s parents, Claudio and Paola, along with his sister, Irene, were present at the opening of the trial. Holding yellow roses, a symbol of remembrance, they unveiled a matching yellow banner outside the courthouse emblazoned with the words “Truth for Giulio Regeni.” According to Italian media, the family expressed relief that after eight years of waiting, the trial was finally underway.
Regeni was investigating Egypt’s independent trade unions, a politically sensitive topic, before his abduction on January 25, 2016. His mother testified before the Italian parliament in 2018, describing the horrific state in which his body was found, only recognizable by the tip of his nose. Prosecutors concluded that Regeni suffered extensive injuries indicative of a brutal assault with “kicks, fists, sticks, and clubs,” ultimately leading to his death from a broken neck.
Initial investigations into the case were conducted jointly by Italian and Egyptian prosecutors but yielded contradictory conclusions. While Egyptian authorities attributed Regeni’s murder to criminal gangs, they proposed various alternative scenarios, including a car accident, a failed drug deal, a botched robbery, or even a crime of passion. Concurrently, they denied any state involvement in his disappearance or death. In contrast, Italian prosecutors determined that the Egyptian national security agency was responsible for the murder.
The four security officials on trial, Gen Tariq Sabir, Col Usham Helmi, Col Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, and Maj Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, stand accused of kidnapping, torturing, and killing Regeni. Additionally, Maj Sharif is alleged to have conspired to inflict aggravated injuries and murder. He supposedly ordered informants to spy on Regeni, leading to his arrest at a metro station and subsequent torture.
Following Regeni’s murder, the case sparked widespread outrage in Italy and triggered a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. Italian prosecutors accused Egyptian officials of obstructing the investigation, which prompted the recall of the Italian ambassador from Cairo. In December 2020, the European Parliament expressed deep concern, noting that Regeni’s case was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of torture, custodial deaths, and enforced disappearances in Egypt in recent years.
A year later, Liz Truss, the former British Foreign Secretary, declared the UK’s continued commitment to supporting the pursuit of justice for Giulio Regeni.
As the trial in absentia continues, it represents a pivotal moment in the quest for truth and accountability in the tragic case of Giulio Regeni’s murder. Italy and Egypt will keenly watch the proceedings to witness whether justice will be served, finally bringing closure to Regeni’s grieving family and shedding light on the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise.
