Ten years after Giulio Regeni's death, the Rome Court of Assizes sentenced three out of four Egyptian security agents to 10 years in prison. They were involved in the case of the Italian researcher who was kidnapped, tortured, and killed in Cairo, Egypt, in 2016. The fourth accused agent was acquitted.
After ten hours of deliberation, the Italian judiciary sentenced Colonels Uhsam Helmi and Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahi, along with Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, to the same penalty. The murder charge, which was against one defendant, was dropped, and the agents were convicted of kidnapping. Egyptian intelligence general Tariq Sabir was acquitted by the Rome court. The court also ordered the defendants to pay a total of 500,000 euros to the Regeni family and 150,000 euros to the Italian state, which was a civil party in the case. The reasons for the verdict will be filed within 90 days.
The trial proceeded without the defendants present, following a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling allowing the trial to continue as the crimes were deemed torture and the defendants were public officials of a state.
However, enforcing the sentence will be challenging: Italy would need to request execution from Egypt, which has been uncooperative and has refused to disclose the defendants' whereabouts, who remain unreachable by Italian authorities. Despite years of obstructions and procedural delays, the verdict marks a significant milestone. According to Rome's chief prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, "the accusatory framework has essentially held," referring to the prosecution's case that linked Regeni's kidnapping and murder to Egyptian government officials.
Upon leaving the courtroom, Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer for Giulio Regeni's family, read their statement: "We will need to read the reasons, but today we know our faith in justice was well-placed," she said. "From tonight, all regimes, their apparatus, their uniforms will have to remember that human dignity is inviolable." She also appealed to the Italian government, saying, "Now our government must acknowledge this, demand compensation as requested by the State Attorney and sever ties with a country that, far from being safe, tortures and kills even citizens of so-called friendly states." She concluded, "This, as Calamandrei would say, is the joy and faith of the jurist, and it is ours too, along with all those who have accompanied and supported us in this arduous journey for justice. We will always be grateful to the prosecution and investigators for their tireless work and to Giulio, who even today has made a difference."
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani commented on the verdict, stating, "There is a separation of powers, the verdict is first-degree: there has been a conviction, Egypt was not condemned, three individuals were." Regarding the conviction of the Egyptian agents, "it was decided they are guilty, we will see what happens in the second and third degrees, but there was a murder, so it was unacceptable," Tajani added. When asked if there had been cooperation from the Egyptian government in identifying the culprits, more than 10 years after the Italian researcher's murder, he recalled, "We have always asked for cooperation, they have been convicted, and justice will take its course."
The case was also addressed by Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein, who had been outside the court in the morning, calling the verdict "historic," and adding that "no one can deny the Egyptian regime's responsibilities anymore."
Now that the first-degree trial has concluded, the defense may appeal. If not, after the verdict is filed, it will become final. At that point, Italy could request the sentence's execution, although this is unlikely given Egypt's refusal to cooperate so far.
The Green and Left Alliance, along with the PD and the Five Star Movement, has already asked the Foreign Minister to report to parliament on the intended actions following the convictions.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved