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| Italian PM attacks Cambridge University over Giulio Regeni murder inquiry | Italian PM attacks Cambridge University over Giulio Regeni murder inquiry |
| (25 days later) | |
| Accusations that Cambridge University has failed to fully cooperate with the investigation into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni were raised last week in high-level talks between the British prime minister, Theresa May, and her Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, it has emerged. | Accusations that Cambridge University has failed to fully cooperate with the investigation into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni were raised last week in high-level talks between the British prime minister, Theresa May, and her Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, it has emerged. |
| Speaking after the leaders’ first meeting in Rome last week, Renzi called the university’s alleged lack of cooperation with the investigation into the doctoral student’s brutal killing “inexplicable.” | Speaking after the leaders’ first meeting in Rome last week, Renzi called the university’s alleged lack of cooperation with the investigation into the doctoral student’s brutal killing “inexplicable.” |
| “I asked the British prime minister Theresa May last Wednesday to use her authority to ask the faculty at Cambridge to assist Italian judicial authorities,” he told the Italian daily La Repubblica. “I don’t understand the reason professors at such a prestigious global university would think that Italy would accept their silence; to me it seems inexplicable.” | “I asked the British prime minister Theresa May last Wednesday to use her authority to ask the faculty at Cambridge to assist Italian judicial authorities,” he told the Italian daily La Repubblica. “I don’t understand the reason professors at such a prestigious global university would think that Italy would accept their silence; to me it seems inexplicable.” |
| The dispute centres on demands by Italy for more information about who Regeni was contacting in connection with his academic research. Italian officials have said the university has not been forthcoming in this, an accusation denied by Cambridge. The university said it remained “ready to react quickly to any request for assistance from the Italian authorities”. | The dispute centres on demands by Italy for more information about who Regeni was contacting in connection with his academic research. Italian officials have said the university has not been forthcoming in this, an accusation denied by Cambridge. The university said it remained “ready to react quickly to any request for assistance from the Italian authorities”. |
| The British government declined to comment on whether May would follow through on Renzi’s request or whether she agreed with his assessment. In a statement, a spokesman said the government was appalled by the murder and would assist Italy in the case but did not provide any details. | The British government declined to comment on whether May would follow through on Renzi’s request or whether she agreed with his assessment. In a statement, a spokesman said the government was appalled by the murder and would assist Italy in the case but did not provide any details. |
| Regeni’s tortured and battered body was found in a ditch outside Cairo in February, more than a week after he disappeared. The 28-year-old had been researching the sensitive topic of Egyptian labour unions. Egyptian authorities have not announced the apprehension of any credible suspects in the case despite pressure from Italy to investigate the death. | Regeni’s tortured and battered body was found in a ditch outside Cairo in February, more than a week after he disappeared. The 28-year-old had been researching the sensitive topic of Egyptian labour unions. Egyptian authorities have not announced the apprehension of any credible suspects in the case despite pressure from Italy to investigate the death. |
| Italian authorities and human rights activists believe the murder happened at the hands of the Egyptian state amid a crackdown on rights activists, journalists and others. The case has severely strained the relationship between Egypt and Italy, which recalled its ambassador from Cairo in April. | Italian authorities and human rights activists believe the murder happened at the hands of the Egyptian state amid a crackdown on rights activists, journalists and others. The case has severely strained the relationship between Egypt and Italy, which recalled its ambassador from Cairo in April. |
| Renzi’s intervention with May, however, indicates that Italy has become increasingly exasperated with a different foe: Cambridge University, which has insisted from the beginning that it is cooperating with investigators and has met the demands of Italian authorities. | Renzi’s intervention with May, however, indicates that Italy has become increasingly exasperated with a different foe: Cambridge University, which has insisted from the beginning that it is cooperating with investigators and has met the demands of Italian authorities. |
| Without mentioning Renzi’s latest remarks, a Cambridge spokesperson told the Guardian in a statement that the university continued to use “every avenue to discover the truth about the brutal murder”. | Without mentioning Renzi’s latest remarks, a Cambridge spokesperson told the Guardian in a statement that the university continued to use “every avenue to discover the truth about the brutal murder”. |
| “Any other suggestion is both distressing to Giulio’s family and friends and does not take us closer to understanding who committed this brutal and senseless murder of one of our cherished PhD students,” the spokesperson said, adding that the university was calling on the British government to bring pressure to bear on Egyptian authorities to be more forthcoming. | “Any other suggestion is both distressing to Giulio’s family and friends and does not take us closer to understanding who committed this brutal and senseless murder of one of our cherished PhD students,” the spokesperson said, adding that the university was calling on the British government to bring pressure to bear on Egyptian authorities to be more forthcoming. |
| Cambridge said that the central university authorities had not received any request for help from Italian prosecutors but that “one individual academic at Cambridge received a request from Italian prosecutors and has already responded to all their questions on two occasions”. | Cambridge said that the central university authorities had not received any request for help from Italian prosecutors but that “one individual academic at Cambridge received a request from Italian prosecutors and has already responded to all their questions on two occasions”. |
| In a previous statement, Cambridge said at least one response from that professor had been sent in writing to Italian authorities. | In a previous statement, Cambridge said at least one response from that professor had been sent in writing to Italian authorities. |
| An Italian official told the Guardian that the assistance Cambridge was offering did not amount to “something real”. The official said Cambridge had been asked for details about Regeni’s research, his contacts in Egypt, and what kind of information he was meant to be pursuing in Cairo. | An Italian official told the Guardian that the assistance Cambridge was offering did not amount to “something real”. The official said Cambridge had been asked for details about Regeni’s research, his contacts in Egypt, and what kind of information he was meant to be pursuing in Cairo. |
| “Of course those are confidential [pieces of] information and only for the judges, not for the public,” the official said. “What we desire is only cooperation. Plain, complete and sincere cooperation.” | “Of course those are confidential [pieces of] information and only for the judges, not for the public,” the official said. “What we desire is only cooperation. Plain, complete and sincere cooperation.” |
| Cambridge was accused earlier this summer by Italy’s deputy foreign minister, Mario Giro, of failing to adequately respond to requests for information from prosecutors in Rome. | Cambridge was accused earlier this summer by Italy’s deputy foreign minister, Mario Giro, of failing to adequately respond to requests for information from prosecutors in Rome. |
| The move to enlist May in the standoff between Italy and Cambridge shows Rome is not backing down from its pursuit of the case, perhaps because it is unlikely to get any answers out of Cairo. | The move to enlist May in the standoff between Italy and Cambridge shows Rome is not backing down from its pursuit of the case, perhaps because it is unlikely to get any answers out of Cairo. |