The search for justice in the Giulio
Regeni case should not preclude doing business with Egypt,
Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said
Wednesday.
Justice is one thing and business is another, said the
right-wing League party leader on the case of the 28-year-old
Cambridge University doctoral researcher into Caito street
unions who was tortured to death in January-February 2016.
Four Egyptian intelligence officers are on trial in absentia in
Rome over Regeni's abduction, torture and murder.
"Justice is awaited by an entire people, all Italians: I hope
the names of those responsible will arrive with exemplary
sentences," said Salvini.
"Then there are economic, cultural, commercial, infrastructural
relations: let's think about how to create wealth and work in
Italy by bringing the Ferrovie dello Stato (state railway)
system to Egypt".
He added: "There are partnerships on trade, tourism,
agriculture, hundreds of thousands of Italians who travel for
tourism. It's one thing to ask to identify those responsible for
that tragic death, I, as Minister of Transport, am responsible
for developing business in Italy, if I can bring more work...".
Regeni's parents have criticised successive governments for
continuing to do business with Egypt including oil and migration
deals and military supplies including two frigates.
National Security General Tariq Sabir and his subordinates,
Colonels Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim and Helmi, and Major Magdi
Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, are on trial on suspicion of torturing
to
death the Friuli-born Regeni from January 25 to
February 3 2016 because they thought he was a spy due to his
politically sensitive research work on independent Cairo street
seller unions.
One of the Cairo street union chiefs reportedly fingered Regeni
as a spy.
Regeni was tortured so badly that his mother Paola
Deffendi said she could only recognise him "from the tip of his
nose".
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