'Egyptian government not involved in Regeni murder,' say two Italian MPs
Ahram Online , Thursday 21 Apr 2016
The two parliamentarians accused a ‘splinter organisation’ of committing the murder with the aim of disrupting trade relations between Egypt and Italy


Two Italian members of parliament ruled out this week the possibility of the Egyptian government's involvement in Italian student Giulio Regeni's murder earlier this year, describing it as a "plot" to spoil the relationship between Egypt and Italy.

Italian Senator Lucio Barani of theLiberal Popular Alliance Blocand Senator Francesco Amoroso, the former president of the Euro-Mediterranean parliament, stated that Regeni's killers were both Egypt and Italy's enemies.

Regeni vanished from the streets of Cairo on 25 January and his body was discovered in a ditch on the outskirts of the city nine days later, showing signs of extensive torture. Some have speculated that Egyptian authorities were behind the killing of the student, who was conducting research on trade unions in the country.

The Italian MPs made the comments in an interview earlier this week on Sada El-Balad TV with renowned Egyptian businessman and current honorary president of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliament Mohamed Abul-Enein.

They stressed during the interview, which was translated into Arabic for Egyptian viewers, that the Egyptian government was not involved in the murder.

The Italian lawmakers accused what they referred to as a "splinter organisation" funded by international economic powers of being behind the murder of the 28-years-old political researcher, saying that it aimed to replace Italy and its economic relations with Egypt.

Barani and Amoroso also stressed that the Italian ambassador should return to Cairo soon.

In early April, the Italian government recalled its ambassador for consultation following a series of meetings in Rome between a high-level Egyptian security and legal delegation and Italian officials to discuss Cairo's investigation into the murder.

“We understand Egypt’s refusal to deliver phone records to the Italian side,” they said, referring to Egypt’s rejection of a request by Italian investigators to release the call logs of thousands of Egyptian phone numbers because it would be "unconstitutional and illegal."

Egypt has vigorously denied claims that security forces were involved in Regeni's murder.

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