Regeni: the Prime Minister’s Office is seeking 2 million in compensation
A request made by the State Legal Service against the four Egyptian 007 agents accused of the abduction, torture and murder of the Italian researcher
Key points
The Presidency of the Council of Ministers, through the State Legal Service – as part of the trial in the Regeni case – has sought damages of two million euros from the four Egyptian intelligence agents accused of the abduction, torture and murder of the Italian researcher. During its address to the court during the ongoing trial in Rome, the State Legal Service noted that ‘this crime has deeply affected the Italian community’ and that the defendants ‘have infringed upon the rights of Italian citizens to freedom, even whilst abroad. Constitutionally guaranteed rights have been violated’.
The Regeni family’s lawyers: all the evil in the world cannot go unpunished
“All the evil in the world cannot go unpunished, and we must answer the most painful of questions: why? Why him? Whoever restrained, tortured and killed Giulio has destroyed his dignity and that of us all.” So said Alessandra Ballerini, the lawyer representing Giulio Regeni’s parents as civil parties, during her closing address at the trial of the four Egyptian intelligence agents accused of the abduction and murder of the Friulian researcher, who was kidnapped, tortured and killed in Egypt ten years ago. “No one should ever have to suffer what Giulio suffered. Today we have the chance to heal wounds that are, in part, incurable and to restore trust among citizens who believe in our values, in the sanctity of the human body and in the inviolability of dignity,” stressed lawyer Ballerini, who, in concluding her closing speech, endorsed the requests made by Deputy Public Prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco and Public Prosecutor Francesco Lo Voi, who had called for a life sentence for Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif and 17 years and 6 months for Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, Uhsam Helmi and Tareq Sabyr.
Provisional compensation for catastrophic damage
With regard to the harm suffered by the Regeni family, the other lawyer representing the civil claimants, Mr Giacomo Satta, has called for compensation, the amount of which is to be determined by the judges of the Court of Assizes, as well as provisional compensation for the ‘catastrophic harm’ suffered by Giulio, the victim of a crime against humanity.
