MEMBERS of a gang suspected of being linked to the murder of an Italian student whose torture and death sparked an international outcry over possible police involvement have been killed in a gun battle with authorities.
The four men were killed inside their vehicle in an eastern Cairo suburb, Egypt’s interior ministry said, adding that the group was suspected of orchestrating the kidnapping of foreigners and robbery. A body was found inside the group’s vehicle next to weapons and forged police identification cards.
The gang members specialised in abducting the foreigners while posing as policemen and police found the personal belongings of Cambridge University student Giulio Regeni, 28, in a raid, the ministry said.
Last week Egypt’s president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi promised investigators would work “night and day” to locate and prosecute those responsible for Regeni’s killing.
Regeni went missing on January 25, the fifth anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 uprising, when police were deployed across Cairo in a broad security sweep to prevent any demonstrations.
The interior ministry said police raided one of the gang member’s houses and found the personal belongings of Regeni, including his red bag bearing the picture of the Italian flag, his passport and other ID cards, including one belonging to Cambridge University, in addition to his mobile phones.
It said the Egyptian authorities notified their Italian counterparts and expressed their appreciation for their co-operation.
Italian officials have repeatedly complained about a lack of transparency from Cairo amid media speculation that Regeni might have been a victim of the widespread torture and secret detentions by police that have been condemned by rights groups.
Regeni had been in Egypt since September conducting research on workers and union rights – a sensitive topic, since disgruntled workers were among the forces in the 2011 anti-Mubarak uprising and authorities still worry about worker discontent.
He was last seen on January 25 heading from his apartment to meet a friend in central Cairo.
His body was found nine days later in an empty site along a highway in the 6th of October suburb on Cairo’s western outskirts.
Ahmed Nagi, a state prosecutor investigating the Regeni case, said earlier that his body carried marks of torture.
“All of his body, including his face” had bruises, cuts from stabbings and burns from cigarettes, Nagi said, adding Regeni appeared to have suffered a “slow death”.
News of the murder and evidence of torture spurred diplomatic tensions. An Italian government delegation cut short a visit to Cairo and Italy summoned the Egyptian ambassador in Rome, calling for a full investigation with participation by Italian experts.
Egyptian media accused “evil hands” of orchestrating Regeni’s killing. The term is usually used to refer to Islamists, who have been targeted by a ferocious crackdown since the 2013 military ousting of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi.
The Italian media pointed fingers at the Egyptian security forces.
Egyptian authorities deny any police involvement.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here