Dear colleague,
Recent developments have underlined once again
the need for an independent inquiry into the torture and murder of Giulio Regeni. A delegation of academic signatories to the Open Letter calling for an independent investigation into all forced disappearances in Egypt met with the Egyptian deputy ambassador
to the UK on 22 March and handed in a copy of the 4600-signature statement, while expressing serious concerns about the credibility of the Egyptian investigation.
Read the delegation’s full statement below.
Days later, Egyptian police claimed to have
killed Giulio’s alleged murderers in a shoot-out. They posted images on Facebook of items said to have been Giulio’s including his passport and University ID cards, which were alleged to have been recovered from members of a gang which specialized in robbing
and kidnapping foreigners.
Members of the delegation told the BBC
that the Egyptian authorities’ story was highly implausible and unlikely.
Italian investigators also cast doubt on the
Egyptian police claims, asking why a group of criminals who allegedly kidnapped foreigners in order to rob them would have tortured Giulio over several days, and then kept his documents for nearly two months risking discovery.
Meanwhile the disappearances continue, and
Egyptian human rights activists and journalists who speak out are facing
escalating harassment by the authorities.
What you can do:
Write to the
Egyptian authorities calling for an end to the harassment of human rights activists and for those responsible for torture, extrajudicial killings and disappearances to be brought to justice.
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