Egypt: Investigation of slain Italian student suggests ‘criminal act’ or ‘revenge’

Published February 24th, 2016 - 07:00 GMT
Egypt's interior minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar speaks during a press conference on February 8, 2016 in the capital Cairo. (AFP/Mostafa Abulezz)
Egypt's interior minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar speaks during a press conference on February 8, 2016 in the capital Cairo. (AFP/Mostafa Abulezz)

Egypt's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday its investigation into the death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian graduate student whose body turned up in a Cairo ditch showing signs of torture has yielded several possibilities including criminal or revenge motives.

"The investigation leads to several possibilities including criminal activity or the desire for revenge due to personal reasons especially as the Italian had many relationships with people near where he lives and where he studied," the ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency MENA.

The statement did not mention the involvement of security forces as a possibility, as many Egyptian, Italian and international media have speculated.

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