Regeni trial, the family's lawyer: Faith in justice is well-placed, Italy should sever ties with Egypt.

Rome – "It's clear that the reasons for the case will need to be read, but today we know that our faith in justice has been well placed. From today, all citizens of the world can feel safer; from this evening, all regimes around the world, their apparatuses, and their uniforms, will be forced to remember that the dignity of people is inviolable, just like their bodies." This was stated by Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer representing Regeni's family, after the ruling issued by the judges of the Rome Assize Court.

The court convicted three of the four Egyptian National Security officers accused of kidnapping, torturing, and killing Trieste-born researcher Giulio Regeni in 2016. Uhsam Helmi, a colonel, Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, a colonel, and Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, a major, were sentenced to ten years in prison for the kidnapping. Tariq Sabir, a police general who headed the department responsible for monitoring independent trade unions, was acquitted.

Regeni family lawyer Alessandra Ballerini: "The state must pay compensation and sever ties with a country that tortures and kills."

The conviction, albeit partial, acknowledges the involvement of Egyptian intelligence agents in the death of the 28-year-old Italian. "Beyond the individual convictions, it is clear that the prosecutor's evidence has passed the Court's scrutiny. We will have to read the reasons. Now the government must also acknowledge this, demand compensation for the damages awarded by the State Attorney's Office, and sever ties with a country that, far from being safe, tortures and kills even citizens of so-called friendly states," concluded lawyer Alessandra Ballerini.

Prosecutor Lo Voi: "The prosecution's case held up; we await the reasons."

"We should wait for the reasons to get a full picture of the Assize Court's reasoning. I believe we can say that the substantial part of the prosecution's case holds up," commented Rome's chief prosecutor, Francesco Lo Voi, after the ruling was read.

"Three out of four convictions were handed down, though not for all the crimes, for an activity carried out by individuals linked to the Egyptian state," he added. "This result was achieved despite unproductive collaboration from the Egyptian authorities. We are satisfied that we have pulled this case out of the quagmire it had fallen into. By also activating the Constitutional Court, we were able to proceed and hold a trial before an autonomous and independent court of assizes, in whose presence even the absent defendants were excellently represented," Lo Voi concluded.

Father Luigi Ciotti: "We are grateful to the Italian judiciary for its courageous work, but our hunger for justice remains unsated."

"Truth without justice is like a flower that withers before bearing fruit. A truth that deludes and never matures. Today we are grateful to the Italian judiciary for its courageous work of excavating and seeking the truth, the same truth that Giulio Regeni was committed to seeking in his role as a scholar, without shortcuts or compromises. That truth cost him his life, and it was the least we could do for all of us to restore truth to his death. But the truth written today is a fragile one, destined, unfortunately, to remain on paper without being embodied in concrete measures." This was stated by Don Luigi Ciotti, president of Libera and Gruppo Abele. "We have named those responsible for the murder. We have answered that terrible question uttered by Giulio's mother before his tortured body: 'What did they do to you?'"

"Justice, on the international level, is bound by political will. Political will often chooses to shield the guilty for the sake of power. Giulio, forgive us. Giulio's parents, family, friends, forgive us. Because your thirst for truth may find partial relief today, but your hunger for justice remains unsatisfied," concludes Luigi Ciotti.

The three 007s were sentenced to compensate Regeni's family and the Presidency of the Council

The verdict came 3.890 days after Giulio Regeni's body was discovered on February 3, 2016, in Cairo. In its final decision, the Assize Court ruled out the contested aggravating circumstances and declared the three convicted men permanently disqualified from holding public office and legally disqualified for the duration of their sentences and for three years under probation after serving their sentences. Furthermore, the three were ordered to compensate the civil parties, Giulio's parents, his sister, and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. It also awarded a provisional sum of €200,000 to Paola Deffenti and Claudio Regeni, and €100,000 to his sister, Irene. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers was awarded €150,000 in compensation. The three were also ordered to pay compensation for the assistance and representation of the civil parties, awarded in the amount of €17.299 to Paola Deffendi and Irene Regeni, €8.930 to Claudio Regeni, and €8.477 to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Defendants who are untraceable and never appear in court: the sentence is already final if they do not appear before a public official or do not appoint a lawyer of their choice.

The four defendants never appeared in court and remained formally untraceable. The case reached its verdict after adjournments, suspensions, two Constitutional Court rulings, and approximately two and a half years of trial with numerous witnesses. In its closing statement, the Prosecutor's Office spoke of "a procedural truth constructed through documentary evidence, declaratory evidence, technical and scientific evidence, external corroboration, independent evidence, and trial verification." According to the prosecution, the motive lay in Regeni's "mistaken perception of hostile intelligence activity": kidnapping and torture were allegedly used to obtain information the researcher was unable to provide.

Today's ruling could definitively close the case. In fact, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the amendments introduced by the Cartabia reform, a defendant in absentia cannot appeal. And none of the defendants in connection with Regeni's death have ever been present in the courtrooms of Rome.

But if one of the defendants were to appear before a public official or produce a proxy for their lawyer, the so-called "rescission of res judicata" would result. A conviction could lead to a request for the extradition of the perpetrators. Indeed, the Constitutional Court ruled in 2023 that there can be "no immunity for the crime of torture" and "paralysis of the trial is unacceptable."