Egypt: Meeting in Rome on Killing of Italian Student is Postponed
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Version 0 of 1. Egyptian officials have postponed a trip to Rome to discuss the investigation into the killing of a 28-year-old Italian graduate student whose body was found on the outskirts of Cairo in February, judicial and security sources said on Monday. Human rights groups have said torture marks on the body of the student, Giulio Regeni, indicated that he died at hands of the Egyptian security forces, an allegation the Cairo government denies. The case has raised fresh questions about accusations of police abuse in Egypt, a strategic ally of the West and an important trade partner for Rome. Egyptian officials were initially scheduled to arrive in Italy on Tuesday. They will now make the visit on Thursday and Friday, judicial sources said, giving no reason for the decision. They had earlier said there was no new date set for the visit. On March 25, the Egyptian police said they had discovered Regeni’s bag and passport following a shootout with a criminal gang whose members had posed as policemen. Italian officials dismissed the story and Mr. Regeni’s family said it was clear he had not been killed for criminal gain. |