Italy on Thursday marked eight yearssince 28-year-old Friuli-born Cambridge University doctoralstudent Giulio Regeni disappeared on the Cairo metro eight daysbefore his body was found dumped on the highway to Alexandriawith torture wounds his mother described as "all the evil in the world" after she could only recognize him by the tip of his nose.
Regeni, who is believed to have been killed by Egyptianintelligence because of his work on the politically sensitive issue of street seller unions, was last heard from in a text message at 19:41 on January 25, 2016, before being found in aditch the following February 3
Four Egyptian intelligence officers are set to go to trial inabsentia for his abduction, torture and murder in Rome on February 20. Regeni's family including
his
father Claudio Regeni, mother Paola Deffendi, and sister Irene, will lead a minute's silence and other commemorative events including a torchlit processionstarting at 7.41pm in his native Fiumicello near Udine on Thursday night.
There will also be a flash mob titled "All the Chickens ComeHome to Roost", referring to the long-awaited reckoning of thefour officers after years in which Cairo stonewalled Italianefforts at justice despite repeated verbal promises fromPresident Abdel Fatah e-Sisi.
There will also be concerts, recitals and images celebrating Regeni's life taking place at Fiumicello.
Giulio Is Us, a Facebook group that has continued to campaign for justice, said: "Eight years ago they started inflicting 'all the evil in the world' on Giulio, but for eight years Giulio has been doing things with us. Now the time has finally come for all the chickens to come home to roost".
Events will also be staged across Italy showing the colouryellow, picked by his family di lui as Giulio's color di lui.
Irene Regeni
said on
, are fighting for truth and justice.
#truthforgiulioregeni".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA