An Italian court has sentenced three Egyptian security officials to 10 years in prison for the aggravated kidnapping of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni, who disappeared in Cairo in 2016 and was later found dead. The Rome court convicted Hisham Helmi, Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif in absentia. A fourth defendant, former state security official Tariq Sabir, was acquitted. The court also dismissed a murder-related charge against Sharif. Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University doctoral researcher, disappeared on January 25, 2016, while studying independent trade unions in Egypt. His body was found nine days later, and Italian investigators said a post-mortem showed extensive signs of torture.
Italian prosecutors argued that Regeni had been targeted by Egyptian security officials because of his research. Egypt has consistently denied state involvement and disputed the Italian investigation, at one stage attributing his death to a criminal gang. Rome Chief Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi welcomed the verdict but criticized what he described as limited cooperation from Egyptian authorities. The defendants remained in Egypt and did not attend the trial. Italian authorities have said they were unable to establish their current whereabouts.
The case caused a major strain in relations between Italy and Egypt and was delayed for years by disputes over evidence, notification of the defendants and judicial cooperation. Italy’s courts eventually allowed the proceedings to continue in absentia. The verdict represents a significant legal development in the decade-long campaign by Regeni’s family for accountability. However, the convictions may be difficult to enforce because the three men are not in Italian custody. The case can also continue through Italy’s appeal process.
