A Cambridge University student who was tortured to death in Egypt was murdered because he was suspected of being a British spy, according to a report in an Italian newspaper.
Mr. Regeni’s family believe he was killed by Egypt’s security services because he was researching labour unions which had opposed president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as part of his PhD at Cambridge University‘s Girton College.
Now a new witness has come forward and told Mr. Regeni’s family he overheard an Egyptian intelligence agent speaking about “the Italian guy” and saying the student had been beaten because he was thought to be a British spy.
“We thought he was an English spy, we took him, I went and after loading him in the car we had to beat him,” the intelligence agent allegedly said, according to the Correre della Sera newspaper.
“I hit him in the face,” the agent reportedly added.
Egypt has strenuously denied its security services were involved in Mr. Regeni’s death, and initially said he died in a car accident before blaming a gang for his murder.
Italy recalled its ambassador to Cairo in April 2016 in protest at the slow pace of the probe into Mr. Regeni’s death, though a replacement was sent a year later.
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