Italian murder inquiry seeks to question Cambridge don
ITALIAN magistrates probing the murder in Cairo of Giulio Regeni, a Cambridge graduate, want his university supervisor to be interviewed.
Previously undisclosed conversations suggest Mr Regeni felt pressured into carrying out sensitive research into Egyptian trade unions, la Repubblica reported yesterday.
The newspaper quoted from Skype conversations, indicating his fears on the direction his research was taking, saying that his tutor had insisted on focusing his research on the unions.
Mr Regeni’s half-naked body was found in Cairo on Feb 3 2016, nine days after he went missing. A post mortem revealed he had been tortured for days.
The Italian magistrates issued a European Investigation Order asking for the questioning of Dr Maha Abdelrahman. Under the order, a UK magistrate would question the Cambridge don in the presence of an Italian judge.
A University of Cambridge spokesman said: “We will not respond to unhelpful and sensationalist speculations. Dr Maha Abdelrahman has repeatedly expressed her willingness to cooperate with Italian prosecutors. We have still not received the formal request for her testimony, and look forward to receiving one as quickly as possible, as we have repeatedly urged. It would be inappropriate, and in breach of process, for Dr Abdulrahman to talk to the media before she has given her testimony.”