Regeni case, Meloni: "Truth and justice, but closing the channels with Egypt takes us further from our goal."

In the aftermath of the Rome Assize Court ruling that convicted three Egyptian secret service agents for the kidnapping of Giulio Regeni , the Italian government reiterates its willingness to continue the search for the truth about the Italian researcher's death, while maintaining open diplomatic channels with Egypt.

"I want to reiterate my closeness to Giulio Regeni's family, to their request, which is also ours, for truth and justice. The Italian state is a civil party in the trial, so we too are absolutely determined to seek the truth in this matter," said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from Prague, where she was attending a series of institutional meetings.

The prime minister emphasized that the sentence is not yet final and that any decision must be made "in the manner and timeframe" required by the judicial process. "We have always used all channels, including political and diplomatic ones with Cairo," she added, explaining that interrupting dialogue with Egypt could, according to the government's position, make it more difficult to achieve the primary objective: obtaining full clarity on the case.

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Meloni: "Diplomacy remains a tool for reaching the truth."

The Prime Minister's position comes after a ruling considered a significant step in the legal proceedings, but one that did not resolve all questions surrounding the case. The Rome Assize Court convicted three members of the Egyptian security services for the kidnapping and torture of Giulio Regeni, while the murder charge was dropped and one of the defendants was acquitted.

Meloni reiterated that the Italian government will continue to support the researcher's family and that the State, as a civil party in the trial, will continue to monitor the proceedings.

"We want truth and justice," the prime minister said, explaining, however, that relations with Egypt cannot be assessed solely in light of the Regeni trial. According to the government, maintaining diplomatic relations can also be a tool for addressing other pending issues.

Tajani: "Three men convicted, not Egypt"

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also intervened in the case, defending his statements after criticism from the opposition.

"Three men were convicted, not Egypt," the Deputy Prime Minister declared after the ruling, specifying that the verdict concerns specific individual responsibilities and not the state as a whole.

Tajani's words provoked a sharp political reaction. The opposition criticized what they called an underestimation of the Egyptian authorities' responsibility and called on the government to take more decisive diplomatic action.

The Foreign Minister, however, rejected the accusations, explaining that he had merely described the content of the sentence and emphasizing that the verdict, while representing a step forward, had not yet clarified who the actual perpetrators of Regeni's killing were.

Tajani: "We've never covered anything up; we want to find the killers."

“I limited myself to photographing yesterday’s ruling,” Tajani explained, adding that it is a “limited” decision because “it doesn’t tell us who Regeni’s murderers are.”

According to the minister, the government's goal remains to fully determine responsibility. "We have never given up, and we're not covering anything up. Diplomatic action is more effective than clamor," he stated.

Tajani also mentioned other cases being pursued by the government through diplomatic channels, citing Patrick Zaki's return to Italy and the ongoing efforts to bring back other Italian citizens involved in judicial proceedings abroad.

"Acting with discretion does not mean not acting," reiterated the Foreign Minister, maintaining that diplomacy remains a fundamental tool for achieving concrete results.

The defense of the three Egyptian 007s prepares to appeal.

On the judicial front, the defense of the three convicted Egyptian officers has announced their intention to appeal the sentence before the Court of Appeal.

The Rome Assize Court's reasoning for the decision will be filed within 90 days, between the end of December and the beginning of the new year. Only then will it be possible to fully evaluate the reasons for the conviction and the parties' procedural strategies.

The court sentenced Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif, Uhsam Helmi, and Athar Kamel Mohamed to ten years in prison for kidnapping and torture, while acquitting General Tariq Sabir.

The crux of the Cartabia reform and the risk of further slowdowns

One of the central aspects of the possible appeal concerns the provisions introduced by the Cartabia reform on appeals by absent defendants.

The Egyptian agents' lawyers argue that the current rules, which require a special power of attorney for the accused to file an appeal, could limit the right to a defense when the accused is not present at the trial.

The issue could therefore return to the Constitutional Court, following the previous steps addressed during the proceedings regarding the holding of the trial in the absence of the defendants.

A possible new level of judgment could further lengthen the proceedings, also considering the issue of the statute of limitations for kidnapping, which is set at twelve years from the date of the alleged crime, barring any interrupting actions.

The sentence ten years after the kidnapping of Giulio Regeni

The Assize Court's decision came almost ten years after the kidnapping of Giulio Regeni, which took place in Cairo on January 25, 2016, and the discovery of the Italian researcher's body on February 3.

The judges also awarded compensation to the civil parties involved in the trial. The Regeni family was awarded provisional damages for the damages they suffered, as was the Office of the President of the Council of Ministers, which was a civil party.

Giulio's parents, Paola Deffendi and Claudio Regeni, accepted the sentence without immediately making a statement, after years of legal battle and demands to uncover the truth about who was responsible for their son's death.

The controversy between the Regeni family and the government

After the sentence was read, the political debate over the consequences of the verdict continued.

The Regeni family's lawyer, Alessandra Ballerini, had called on the Italian government to consider a tougher response against Egypt, including a request for compensation and a review of bilateral relations.

“The government will have to take note of this,” the lawyer declared, arguing for the need for a political reaction following the conviction of members of the Egyptian security apparatus.

Tajani responded by invoking the principle of separation of powers and recalling that the sentence concerns three individuals, not the Egyptian state as a whole. "There has been a conviction; we'll see what happens in the subsequent proceedings," he stated.

The opposition is asking the government to report to Parliament

The Foreign Minister's statements have opened a new political front. The Democratic Party, the Five Star Movement, the AVS, and other opposition forces have asked Tajani to report to Parliament on the initiatives the government intends to take following the ruling.

Democratic Party Secretary Elly Schlein criticized the Deputy Prime Minister's words, arguing that the government must now commit to following up on the judges' decision and securing the handover of those responsible to the Italian authorities.

Other opposition figures have also called for a more decisive stance towards Egypt, contesting the decision to keep diplomatic channels open without further measures.