The culprits behind Italian student Giulio Regeni's murder in Cairo have not yet been identified, Egypt's interior ministry said in an official statement on Wednesday.
The ministry said in the statement that, “some insist on rushing to an outcome of the security investigations and spreading rumors that were published in the foreign press without real evidence… False information [is spread] in a way that misleads public opinion, and therefore affects the investigations.”
The ministry said that the Egyptian security apparatus has formed an investigation team to review the incident and its circumstances through a comprehensive plan with a main focus on Regeni and his relationships.
The ministry elaborated that the efforts made by the investigations revealed that Regeni's contacts and circles were wide and his relationships many, even though his stay in the country did not exceed six months.
The statement added that the investigative team has identified some of Regeni's contacts, summoning Egyptians and foreigners from those circles and questioning them about their relationship with Regeni.
The ministry pointed out that, although the team “has not identified the culprits or determined the motive of the crime, the available information raises all possibilities.
“This includes a suspicion of criminal activity or revenge for personal causes, especially seeing as though Regeni had various relationships in the course of his residency and study.”
The ministry said it will not hesitate to inform the Egyptian and Italian public on the latest developments.
It affirmed that it is cooperating closely with the Italian investigation team currently in Egypt to follow up with the investigations being carried out.
Last week, a media official from the interior minister dismissed reports in Western media that Giulio Regeni was arrested by Egyptian security before his death.
The body of Regeni, a PhD student who had been conducting research on independent trade union movements in Egypt, was found with signs of torture along a road on the outskirts of Cairo earlier in February.
The discovery of Regini's body came nine days after he disappeared on 25 January, the five-year anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
Egypt's Forensic Authority sent its own autopsy report to the general prosecution on Saturday. The findings of the report have not been made public yet.
