Italian FM: Immediate measures will be taken if Egypt uncooperative in Regeni investigations

If Egypt doesn’t change the way it is conducting investigations into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, Italy will take immediate and proportionate measures against it, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni stated on Tuesday.

Gentiloni, who spoke in front of the Italian parliament, added that Italy would not allow its dignity to trampled on by Egypt and that Italian authorities would not stop until they ascertained the “truth” behind Regeni’s death,” Italian newspaper Correo Della Serra reported.

The spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid responded to Gentiloni's remarks, saying Egypt would "refrain from commenting on these statements, which complicate the situation." He added this is in the context of "strong and diverse historic relations" between the two nations and Egypt's assurances that Italian authorities will have their full cooperation. 

A meeting between Egyptian and Italian investigators was originally scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but was delayed for unknown reasons. Egyptian authorities are expected to hand over a 2,000 page dossier on their two month investigation into Regeni’s death on Thursday, including investigations into 200 people of different nationalities who knew Regeni in various capacities.

Regeni’s body was discovered on the side of a road in February with torture marks, including cigarette burns, bruises, cuts and multiple stab wounds. The student went missing on January 25, 2016, while heading to meet a friend in Downtown Cairo, an area that was heavily occupied by security forces on the anniversary of the 25 January revolution.

The reason for the delayed Italy meeting remains unclear, with judicial sources telling the privately owned Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper that authorities are still deciding the makeup of the delegation.

There have been a number of official and unofficial stories about what happened to Regeni. Egyptian authorities alleged police recently shot five men who were part of a gang targeting foreigners, and the Interior Ministry claimed they found several of Regeni’s possessions, including his passport and identification cards at the house of one of the alleged gang members’ sister.

These reports were met by skepticism from Italian authorities, with Prime Minister Matteo Renzi stating that Italy would not accept “convenient truths.” The Italian Interior Ministry released a statement saying there is no definitive evidence showing this gang is responsible for Regeni’s death.

Regeni’s mother said she expects a strong response from the Italian state if Egyptian authorities fail to produce convincing answers during their meeting with Italian investigators in Rome.