Egypt demands investigation of Egyptian’s death in London

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a statement late Tuesday to request that the UK government promptly investigates the circumstances behind the death of a 21-year-old Egyptian national who died in a hospital after suffering burns in a fire at a London residential property.

Adel Habib, a recent graduate of London’s University of Greenwich, was rescued from a fire in Southall by the London Fire Brigade on Sunday and later died in an Essex hospital’s specialist burns unit, according to a statement issued by the Metropolitan Police that was published by the British Embassy in Cairo.

London police have detained a 20-year-old suspected of arson with intent to endanger life in relation to Habib’s death. The suspect has been released on bail, pending further enquiries.

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement that Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry has instructed the Egyptian Consulate General in London to inform UK authorities that the Egyptian government expects, “an urgent, transparent and impartial investigation into the incident that reveals its causes and holds those responsible for it accountable in the fastest time possible.”

The ministry has also requested that the British Embassy in Cairo facilitate the travel of Habib’s family members to London.

The British Embassy in Cairo stated that the UK government will be in close contact with Egyptian authorities on Wednesday to receive and respond to any requests, including those from the recent graduate’s family.

Earlier this month, the UK government requested that the Egyptian government conduct a full and transparent investigation into Italian doctoral candidate Giulio Regeni's murder. Regeni's body was found outside Cairo in early February. The UK’s statement added to international pressure on the Egyptian government after the Italian autopsy report revealed signs of brutal torture on Regeni’s body.

Anonymous Egyptian security sources cited in a Reuters report published last week confirmed that Regeni was held in police custody prior to his death. Egyptian media reported that the Interior Ministry has responded by suing the news organization for disseminating false information.