Rome court sentences 3 Egyptian security officials to 10 years over Giulio Regeni's abduction

A Rome court sentenced three Egyptian security officials to 10 years in prison for the aggravated kidnapping of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni in Cairo in January 2016. The fourth defendant was acquitted of murder. Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University PhD student researching Egypt's independent trade unions, disappeared on January 25, 2016, and his mutilated body was found a week later near Cairo. Italian prosecutors concluded that Egyptian security forces were involved but faced a lack of cooperation from the Egyptian government during the investigation. Despite the convictions, it is unlikely those sentenced will ever serve their prison terms due to political tensions between Italy and Egypt. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized separating the verdict from broader diplomatic relations with Egypt, stressing no official condemnation of Egypt's regime.