A Rome court has delivered a verdict in the long-standing case regarding the 2016 disappearance and death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian doctoral student at Cambridge University. Three members of Egypt’s National Security Agency were convicted of kidnapping the student, receiving 10-year prison sentences. The trial was conducted in absentia, as the accused officers remain in Egypt and have not been extradited to face the Italian justice system.

Regeni disappeared in Cairo in January 2016 while researching independent labor unions. His body was discovered days later on the outskirts of the city, showing clear signs of severe torture. The Italian investigation concluded that the officers targeted Regeni due to his academic research, which Egyptian authorities viewed as a threat to national security.

While the Italian court has reached a verdict, the case remains a significant point of diplomatic tension between Rome and Cairo. Egyptian officials have maintained that the officers are innocent and have previously suggested that criminal gangs were responsible for the student's death, a claim that Italian prosecutors have rejected based on evidence gathered during their multi-year inquiry. Because the defendants were tried in absentia, the legal process in Italy faces practical hurdles regarding enforcement, as Egypt has not recognized the legitimacy of the Italian proceedings or the court's jurisdiction over its security personnel.