The Lower House on Wednesday rejected
an amendment from the Northern League, Forza Italia and Brothers
of Italy (FdI) aimed at reintroducing into a decree on foreign
missions authorisation to supply spare parts to Egypt for F16
fighters.
The Senate recently voted down the authorisation in a
protest against Egyptian foot-dragging in a probe into the Cairo
torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni.
On June 30 the Egyptian foreign ministry on said it was
unhappy about the Italian Senate's decision.
"Egypt is dissatisfied with the Italian Senate's decision
to halve the supply of spare parts for the fighter jets against
the backdrop of the Regeni homicide," the foreign ministry said.
"This is not in line with cooperation between the
authorities of the two countries that are probing the Regeni
case, nor with the special relationship between our countries.
The Egyptian ambassador in Rome has been tasked with
delivering an important message to Italy".
Egypt cares very much about preserving "stable bilateral
relations in the interests of both countries", the statement
said.
Cambridge University doctoral research student Regeni, 28,
went missing on the night of January 25, the heavily policed
fifth anniversary of the uprising that toppled former strongman
Hosni Mubarak, and his burned, mutilated, and partially
unclothed body turned up in a ditch on the road to Alexandria on
February 3.
An autopsy confirmed he had been tortured for days on end,
and ultimately killed by having his neck broken.
Egyptian authorities have offered up a series of
explanations of the incident, including a car crash, a gay
lovers' quarrel, and a kidnapping for ransom gone bad. Italy has
not found any of these versions convincing.
Regeni's parents told the European Parliament's human
rights commission last month that Italy and Europe must up the
pressure on Egypt to obtain a transparent probe into their son's
death.
Member States must recall their ambassadors and declare
Egypt an unsafe country, Paola and Claudio Regeni said.
"We have documentation with 266 photos of what happened to
Giulio - a true encyclopedia of the tortures being practiced in
Egypt," said Paola Regeni.
"We also have a 225-page autopsy report. We do not want to
ever have to show those photos - it would mean we really have
reached the lowest point".
"I think the governments knew and should have warned people
- the students who still go to Egypt, a country still being
considered safe for tourists," Mrs. Regeni continued.
"We ask that pressure be brought on Egypt," she said.
"Italy and Europe must make some choices because what happened
to Giulio could happen to anyone. So far (Egypt has only
provided) worthless paper, false testimony. We now call on
Europe to exert strong pressure on Cairo. I don't understand
whether or not Italy is a friend to Egypt, but I do know friends
don't kill each other's children".
Claudio Regeni said "we want to thank the European
Parliament for approving the resolution (to demand the truth
from Egypt".
"I ask member States to recall their ambassadors, to
declare Egypt an unsafe country, to suspend weapons deals,
inter-force (collaboration) on spying and internal repression,
and economic accords, to monitor trials against activists,
militant lawyers and journalists fighting for freedom in Egypt,
and to offer protection ...to those able (to help) Rome
prosecutors, including visas," he said.
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