The Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, has defended his country’s handling of the investigation into the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, and said that allegations of complicity on the part of Egypt’s security forces were putting the country at risk.
Sisi’s comments showed he was standing by Egypt’s official position that government-sanctioned forces had no role in the torture and murder of Regeni, even though experts and activists have said they believe his death bore all the hallmarks of Egypt’s notorious secret police.
The remarks came as signs emerged on Wednesday that Egypt was ready to capitulate to a demand by Italian investigators for certain mobile phone records that, after weeks of stalling, could help to identify the possible perpetrators behind Regeni’s 25 January disappearance.
Sisi used his often cryptic and rambling nationally televised speech on Wednesday to address criticisms levelled at the government’s handling of the case, which most recently saw an increasingly frustrated Italy recall its ambassador to Cairo for consultations in Rome.
He defended what he said was an investigation being conducted with “utmost transparency” into the death of Regeni. The academic researcher’s body was found bearing signs of torture on 4 February in an outlying district of Cairo.
Sisi attacked the way the case was being perceived both at home and abroad, saying that Egyptians who were spreading “lies” about the case had endangered the country.
“We Egyptians started circulating these allegations and lies, we made this problem ourselves, we made this problem for Egypt,” he added, referring to the ongoing suspicions that Egyptian security forces were responsible for Regeni’s death.
He said the involvement of the country’s judiciary had added to the credibility of the case and admonished journalists for making “social media your source”.
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