An Italian court on Monday found three Egyptian security officials guilty of aggravated kidnapping in connection with the death of Giulio Regeni, a postgraduate student from the University of Cambridge. The three men—Major Magdi Sharif of General Intelligence, Colonel Hisham Helmy, and Colonel Ather Kamal—were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. A fourth defendant, Major General Tarek Sabir, was acquitted. All four men were tried in absentia and are unlikely to face extradition given the diplomatic tensions between Italy and Egypt stemming from the case.
Regeni disappeared in January 2016 while conducting research in Cairo on trade union activities among street vendors. His body was subsequently discovered on the side of a road bearing signs of severe torture, including broken teeth, cigarette burns, and broken bones. Medical examination confirmed he had been subjected to torture, with human rights groups noting similarities between his injuries and those documented in cases involving Egyptian security agency facilities.
Italian prosecutors argued that Egyptian security officials kidnapped and tortured Regeni because of his academic research activities. Rome Chief Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi stated that the conviction was achieved despite inadequate cooperation from Egyptian authorities. The Egyptian government has consistently denied involvement in Regeni’s death, initially claiming members of a criminal gang were responsible before later asserting that the identity of his killers remains unknown.
The case has proceeded through significant legal complications. An earlier trial was suspended in 2021 when a judge questioned its legitimacy, citing concerns about whether the accused had proper notice of charges. Italy’s top court overturned that decision in 2023, ruling that the trial should proceed despite Egypt’s lack of cooperation. Italian law permits prosecution of crimes committed abroad against Italian citizens.
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