The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that the government is in full cooperation with the Italian authorities in investigating the murder of an Italian student.
According to All Africa, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid echoed Egypt's commitment to a complete and unbiased investigation into the death of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni.
Abu Zeid responded to a letter from the academic community saying that it is early to judge the results of the investigations. He stated that while the Egyptian government understand the deep shock and sadness at Regeni's murder, it was premature and short-sighted to judge the outcomes of the official criminal investigation, the news source added.
In a response letter published by The Guardian, the Foreign Ministry Spokesman added that efforts to inculpate the Egyptian authorities without sufficient proofs were counter-productive.
"It is surprising that such unfounded assumptions could emanate from academics, who should be the first to adhere to standards of impartiality, rigour and professionalism," Abu Zeid wrote in his letter.
The spokesman also expressed his complete dismissal of the statements mentioned in the letter concerning arbitrary arrests, torture and disappearances in Egypt. He mentioned that most of supposed cases of disappearances have been found groundless after investigations as showed in the reports from the National Council for Human Rights.
The same news source recounted that Regeni was found dead in Cairo after he was reported missing on January 25. Authorities based in Rome discovered the PhD student cause of death was a violent blow to the base of the head. The body of the 28-year-old, found on a Cairo road, contained in abrasions and other injuries including fractures.
Egyptian investigators are fully cooperating with Italian authorities who arrived in Cairo. However, the Italians do not have access to all Egypt's investigations. Shaaban el-Shamy, Egypt's deputy minister of justice, said it was standard procedure that Italian investigators are not allowed to collaborate with morgue and the autopsy.
The Egyptian government extend condolences to Regeni's family and loved ones, condemning the murder as intolerable to the people of Egypt.
