Giulio Regeni case: Italian prosecutors seek life imprisonment for Egyptian official

Ten years after the disappearance and death of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Egypt, Italian prosecutors have requested harsh sentences for four Egyptian security officials accused of participating in his abduction, torture, and murder. Life imprisonment has been requested for one of the main defendants.

Giulio Regeni, a doctoral student at Cambridge University, disappeared in Cairo on January 25, 2016, while conducting academic research. His body was found several days later. The autopsy revealed that he had suffered multiple acts of torture before his death, sparking outrage in Italy and a protracted diplomatic crisis between Rome and Cairo.

During its closing arguments before a Rome court, the prosecution requested a life sentence for Magdi Sharif, described as a commander in Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate. Sentences of 17 years and six months were also requested for three other officials: former State Security chief Tarek Sabir, police colonel Hisham Helmy, and Colonel Ather Kamal, former head of investigations in Cairo.

The four men are being tried in absentia, having never appeared before an Italian court. They have not publicly responded to the accusations. The trial is made possible by Italian legislation that allows for the prosecution of crimes committed abroad when the victims are Italian citizens.

Egypt has consistently denied any involvement of its institutions in this case. Egyptian authorities maintain that Giulio Regeni was killed by common criminals. This version is disputed by Italian prosecutors, who believe that the evidence gathered during the investigation points to the direct involvement of members of the security services.

In court, Deputy Prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco denounced what he described as a "methodical, cold, and organized" use of violence against a defenseless man. According to the prosecution, the evidence gathered shows that the young researcher was detained and tortured for several days before being killed.

For the first time since the trial began, prosecutors presented the autopsy photographs to the court, with the consent of the Regeni family. According to the prosecution, these images confirm the extent of the abuse suffered and indicate that the victim was conscious for much of the torture inflicted. However, the verdict is not expected before the end of the summer recess, leaving several weeks before a decision that could mark a major turning point in one of the most sensitive cases in relations between Italy and Egypt.