Italian Prosecutors Seek Harsh Sentences Over Giulio Regeni Murder Case
Italian prosecutors have requested a life sentence for one Egyptian security officer and lengthy prison terms for three others accused in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in 2016.
Regeni, a doctoral student at the University of Cambridge, disappeared in Cairo in January 2016. His body was found days later, and an autopsy indicated he had been subjected to severe torture before his death.
Prosecutors asked the court in Rome to sentence intelligence officer Magdi Sharif to life imprisonment, while seeking prison terms of more than 17 years for three other former Egyptian security officials. The four men are being tried in absentia under Italian law.
During closing arguments, prosecutors said the evidence showed Regeni was tortured over several days while conscious. They argued that the crime was carried out by state officials rather than ordinary criminals.
Egypt has denied any involvement by its security services and maintains that Regeni was killed by a criminal gang. The case has long strained relations between Italy and Egypt. A verdict is expected after the court’s summer recess.
