An examination of recorded phone calls indicate that murdered Italian researcher Giulio Regeni was followed by Egyptian police officers, according to privately-owned Italian TV channel La7.
The Rome-based channel said Thursday that, according to anonymous Egyptian sources, nines recordings were examined and the results indicate that Regeni was followed into a Metro station by five police officers on 25 January 2016 – the day he disappeared.
The Egyptian government has repeatedly asserted that the Italian researcher was neither wanted nor followed by security forces, nor was he detained in any police facility.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was not available for comment.
Hours after the discovery of Regeni’s body, head of the Giza Investigation Bureau Khaled Shalaby said that Regeni died in a road accident.
Forensics experts in Italy said that the victim was subjected to “animal like torture”.
In 30 June, the Italian Senate voted to stop the supply of F-16 fighters being delivered to Egypt in the first “pressure signal” as part of the repercussions following the murder of Regeni.
Italy reacted with major scepticism to the results presented by Egypt, ultimately resulting in a decision by the Italian government to recall its ambassador for “consultations” on the subsequent course of action.
Regeni, who had just turned 28, was a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and had come to Cairo as a visiting scholar at the American University in Cairo (AUC). He was reported missing on the fifth anniversary of the 25 January Revolution.
He was last known to be travelling to downtown Cairo via the Behouth metro station. His body was found on 3 February showing physical signs of torture, such as cigarette burns and signs of electrocution on the genitals.
