Signs of Regeni cooperation from Egypt (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, December 29 - Premier Paolo Gentiloni said on the Giulio Regeni case Thursday that "there is a path the government has been seeking to follow, that of firmness and requests for cooperation. "Lately I have seen very useful signs of cooperation from Egypt, I hope they will develop and the government will work for that". He said "the collaboration between Rome prosecutors and Cairo prosecutors has produced results". The possible involvement of the head of the Cairo street vendors' union had been "anticipated" by Egypt's prosecutor-general in Rome talks, Gentiloni noted. Saying that he had been in touch with Regeni's parents on Christmas Day, the premier said: "I have nothing to add on the gravity of the affair, to what I have been saying for 11 months.
    "I know that it is one of the affairs that rightly has most struck our public opinion".
    Cambridge doctoral student Regeni, 28, went missing on January 25, the heavily policed fifth anniversary of the uprising that ousted former strongman Hosni Mubarak, and his tortured and maimed body turned up in a ditch outside Cairo six days later, on February 3.
    Egypt has denied speculation its security forces, who are frequently accused of brutally repressing opposition, were involved in the death of the Cambridge doctoral student.
    Several concocted explanations of Regeni's death have been rejected, from a car accident to a gay quarrel turned ugly to a kidnap for ransom that went wrong.