Giulio Regeni: Cambridge University tribute five years after murder

Giulio Regeni's mutilated body was left in a ditch on the outskirts of Cairo

Cambridge University has paid tribute to one of its students killed while carrying out research in Egypt, and called for academic freedom to mark the fifth anniversary of his death.

Giulio Regeni disappeared on 25 January 2016 in Cairo. The body of the Italian national was found nine days later.

Egyptian authorities have denied their officials were involved in his murder.

Cambridge University said it would "pause to remember the gifts of an outward-looking scholar".

The 28-year-old student was researching Egypt's independent trade unions for a doctorate when he disappeared.

His body was found dumped in a ditch by a road near Cairo on 3 February.

An Italian post-mortem examination found he had been tortured "in stages" between 25 January and the day of his death.

Several rallies calling for the truth behind Giulio Regeni's murder have been held in Italy

The topic he was researching is politically sensitive in Egypt, and in 2018, a Rome prosecutor working on the joint Italian-Egyptian case said Mr Regeni was killed "solely" because of his research.

No-one has yet been brought to justice over his death, but in a statement released to mark the fifth anniversary, Cambridge University said: "This week we pause to remember the gifts of an outward-looking scholar, brimming with intelligence, curiosity and compassion.

"We pay tribute to Giulio's commitment to human rights, to his parents and wider family, and to all who have campaigned for truth and justice on his behalf.

Giulio Regeni's parents, Claudio and Paola, have campaigned for justice for their son

"We will also continue to defend the principle of academic freedom," the statement continued.

"Academics work to demanding codes of professional conduct: they should never be at risk of harm for following their intellectual curiosity, for collecting original data, or for seeking evidence to verify or challenge ideas."

However, it said it was "still far from knowing what happened to Giulio five years ago - and why".

His killing was "an assault on the principle of academic freedom that underpins the work of all universities, and which Giulio embodied," it said.

Egypt has denied that Mr Regeni died in custody although officials have admitted that security services were monitoring him at the time of his disappearance.

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