Giulio Regeni trial faces further pushback from Cairo

  ROME -- The trial investigating the kidnapping, torture, and murder of University of Cambridge student, Giulio Regeni, currently underway in Italy, is facing further pushback from Egypt, with a new attempt from Cairo to slow down and stop it. 

  The four Egyptian 007 agents accused of the kidnapping are Usham Helmi, General Sabir Tariq, Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, and Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif. It is only Sharif, however, who is accused of conspiracy to commit aggravated bodily harm and conspiracy to commit murder. 

  Giulio Regeni disappeared on January 25 2016 before his mutilated body was found on February 3 beside a motorway connecting Cairo and Alexandria. 

  Deputy Prosecutor, Sergio Colaiocco, reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy had forwarded a note from the Cairo General Prosecutor’s Office to the prosecutors in Rome. The note read that it is “impossible to execute requests for judicial assistance” to hear four Egyptian witnesses in the trial. 

  Colaiocco had called for witness statements from statements from trade unionist Said Abdallah, the coordinator for the Centre of Economic and Social Rights, Hoda Kamel Hussein, and Regeni’s tutor in Cairo, Rabab Ai-Mahdi in addition to witnesses ‘Z’ who cannot be named for security reasons. 

  “We are dealing with people who did not freely choose not to be here. We tried everything to bring the witnesses. Some have reported being threatened and fearing for their lives and those of their families” Colaiocco explained to the Court of Assizes. 

  He accused Cairo of “blocking the trial, attempting to prevent the acquisition of all of the elements gathered to arrive at the most complete inspection possible of the responsibility of the four defendants.” 

  The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has therefore asked the Court of Assizes to acquire the testimonies of the "absent" witnesses collected during the investigations.

  “Despite all efforts made by the prosecution and despite all formal requests made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Egyptian obstructionism is undeniably insurmountable at this point,” The lawyer of Giulio Regeni’s parents, Alessandra Ballerini, said in response to the update. 

  “An obstructionism that, even based on the arguments we have heard from the prosecutor, is entirely illegitimate. So the problem is the Egyptian obstructionism.” 

  “It is clear that there is no collaboration. Whoever talks about collaboration is lying.” Ballerini concluded. 

lw