Reuters defends report alleging Giulio Regeni was detained prior to death

Reuters defended an article it published last week alleging that Italian student Giulio Regeni was detained by Egyptian security forces prior to his death, after reports surfaced that an official complaint was filed against the news agency for "disseminating false information."

"We stand by the story published on April 21, 2016, regarding the detention of an Italian student, Giulio Regeni,” a Reuters statement obtained by Mada Masr read. “The story did not state who is responsible for his death, and is consistent with Reuters’ commitment to accurate and independent journalism."

The news agency said it was unable to verify whether a complaint has been filed, explaining that it “has not received notice of any legal action.”

According to local reports, Mohamed Reda, chief detective at Azbakeya Police Station, filed an official complaint to Egypt's Public Prosecution against Reuters in regards to the story. 

Reda stated to Al-Masry Al-Youm to that he had received a text message from Reuters asking for a comment on whether or not Regeni had been detained at the Azbakeya Police Station, which he ignored. He added he was surprised to see that Reuters had publishing the article without waiting for his response.

The text included “offensive information” about the police, Reda added, alleging that the article was meant to cause tension between Egypt and Europe and worsen the state of Egypt’s tourism, economy and foreign relations.

Other reports also claimed that Reuters’ Cairo bureau chief Michael Georgy had fled the country to Switzerland. However, David Crundwell, Reuters’ senior vice president of corporate affairs, denied the news to Mada Masr, explaining that Georgy is currently traveling on business.

Reuters’ article cited six anonymous sources from both the police and intelligence services stating that Regeni was detained by security services on January 25, the day he disappeared.

The sources alleged that security forces arrested Regeni near the Gamal Abdel Nasser metro station and transfered him to the Azbakeya Police Station, where he was held for 30 minutes before he being taken to a National Security Agency office in Lazoghly Square.

In the same report, Reuters stated that an official from the National Security Agency's media office vehemently denied that security services had anything to do with Regeni’s disappearance.

The Italian PhD student disappeared on January 25, the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution, after he left his residence in Dokki to meet a friend in downtown Cairo, an area heavily occupied by security forces for the occasion. His body was found in February on the side of a road showing signs of torture, including cuts, cigarette burns, bruises and multiple stab wounds.

Reuters has previously alleged that Regeni’s injuries bear the hallmarks of abuse by Egypt’s security forces.

The news agency was not the first to report Egyptian security services' involvement in Regeni’s disappearance, however. Anonymous security sources also told the New York Times in February that Regeni had been detained by security forces prior to his death.

Regeni’s murder has resulted in mounting tension between Egypt and Italy. Italian authorities have stated that their Egyptian counterparts have not been fully transparent in their investigations, which they describe as incomplete and lacking key materials. Italy's ambassador to Egypt was recalled in April.