According to Italy’s TG La7 television,
An Egyptian citizen named Zakaria disappeared hours after contacting the Italian Embassy in Cairo to provide information regarding the 2016 abduction and murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni. Regeni’s killing triggered a diplomatic crisis between the two nations, fueled by suspicions of Egyptian security forces’ involvement in his abduction and torture, a claim repeatedly denied by Egyptian authorities.
On the morning of December 3, 2024, Zakaria went to the Italian Embassy in Cairo to offer information about Regeni’s murder. He was received by embassy staff, who prepared a brief report and asked him to leave, stating they would contact him later to return and formally testify.
However, within 24 hours, Zakaria was apprehended. That same night, at approximately 3 a.m., Egyptian security forces raided Zakaria’s home, arrested him, and took him to an undisclosed location.
On the morning of December 9, 2024, Zakaria’s mother went to the Italian Embassy to report his disappearance. She revealed that Zakaria had advised her to approach the embassy in case he went missing, suggesting he was aware of the risks involved in taking such a step.
Zakaria’s disappearance raises numerous questions:
Who informed Egyptian authorities about his visit to the Italian Embassy?
Is the embassy under surveillance or subject to espionage?
What testimony did Zakaria intend to provide that authorities are now attempting to suppress?
Do these incidents reinforce suspicions of the Egyptian authorities’ involvement in Regeni’s abduction, torture, and killing?
Who Was Giulio Regeni? The Story Behind the Case
Giulio Regeni was an Italian student and researcher who disappeared in Egypt in early 2016, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the January 25 Revolution. His mutilated body was discovered on February 3, 2016, in a desert area. The body bore signs of brutal torture, including bruises, abrasions across his body, electrical shocks to his genitals, removal of fingernails from both hands and feet, and multiple fractures, including broken ribs, fingers, and shoulder blades.
It is widely believed that Regeni’s abduction was linked to his research on Egypt’s independent labor unions, which intersected with politically sensitive issues.
Regeni’s mother addressed the European Parliament in March 2016, where she stated that her son’s case was not an isolated incident as claimed by Egyptian authorities. She declared, “They tortured and killed him as if he were an Egyptian.”
Egyptian Authorities Use Five Egyptians as Scapegoats
In March 2016, Egyptian authorities announced the killing of five Egyptians in Cairo, claiming they were connected to Regeni’s murder. Authorities stated that the suspects formed a “gang” that impersonated police officers to abduct and rob foreigners.
According to human rights reports, Egyptian authorities have a history of extrajudicial killings, often justifying them as shootouts during security raids.
In January 2021, Rome’s public prosecutor decided to indict four Egyptian National Security officers, charging them with Regeni’s abduction, torture, and murder. The accused include Major Magdy Sharif of the General Intelligence Directorate, Major General Tariq Saber of the National Security Agency, Colonel Hisham Helmy, and Colonel Asser Kamal.
