The Egyptian General Prosecution approved on Sunday the demand of Italy to send Italian experts to obtain and examine footage of Dokki metro station pertaining to the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni.
Citing general prosecutor Nabil Sadek, a statement said that he ordered the quick finalisation to the investigations of security bodies in the murder case.
Regeni was a Cambridge scholar conducting a Ph.D research in Cairo on the nature of political and economic developments, and particularly on the conditions of labour unions in Egypt. He disappeared on the fifth anniversary of the 25 January Revolution, according to his friends. On 3 February 2016, his body was found dumped on the side of a road outside Cairo, showing signs of physical torture, such as cigarette burns and bruises.
Meanwhile, a state-owned channel aired on Sunday footage allegedly showing Regeni speaking to one of the street vendors prior to the former’s death. The footage showed Regeni asking the vendor questions that pertain to the vendor’s work and labour union, saying that it was for his academic paper.
Earlier this month, the Italian parliament established a Giulio Regeni Scholarship for an Egyptian student.
In September 2016, a joint statement by Egyptian and Italian prosecution included an acknowledgment for the first time from the Egyptian side that Regeni had been traced by Egypt’s security forces prior to his disappearance.
Bilateral relations between Egypt and Italy have strained over the murder of Regeni. In April 2016, Italy decided to recall its ambassador to Egypt for failing to provide substantial findings in the investigations. In June 2016, the Italian side decided to further escalate and cut military aid to Egypt.
