The European Parliament adopted by 588 votes to 10, with 59 abstentions, a resolution on Egypt, notably the case of Giulio Regeni.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ECR, ALDE, GUE/NGL, Greens/EFA and EFDD groups.
According to information available, Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Italian doctoral student at Cambridge University, disappeared on 25 January 2016 after leaving his home in Cairo. His body was found on 3 February 2016 next to a road on the outskirts of Cairo. The results have yet to be made public. However, according to the Italian ambassador to Cairo, Mr Regenis body was found to have been subjected to severe beating and multiple forms of torture.
Mr Regeni was conducting research in Cairo on the development of independent trade unions in post-Mubarak and post-Morsi Egypt, and had contact with opponents of the government. Members noted that the case of Giulio Regeni follows a long list of enforced disappearances that have occurred in Egypt since July 2013 and that these disappearances are met with impunity.
Parliament strongly condemned the torture and assassination under suspicious circumstances of EU citizen Giulio Regeni. It called on the Egyptian authorities to provide the Italian authorities with all the documents and information necessary to enable a swift, transparent and impartial joint investigation into the case of Mr Regeni, and for every effort to be made to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice as soon as possible.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights is an essential element of the agreement. Moreover, the Egyptian Constitution adopted in 2014 enshrines fundamental rights and freedoms. The case of Giulio Regeni is not an isolated incident. Therefore, Members called on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Member States to raise with the Egyptian authorities the routine practice of enforced disappearances and torture and to press for effective reform of Egypts security apparatus and judiciary.
Parliament called on the Government of Egypt to guarantee that domestic and international civil society organisations and independent trade unions can operate freely without government interference or intimidation in the country. It also called:
Underlining the importance that the European Union attaches to cooperation with Egypt, the resolution insisted that only by building a truly pluralistic society, respectful of the diversity of views and lifestyles, can long-term stability and security in Egypt be ensured. In this regard, it called on the Egyptian authorities to commit to a reconciliation dialogue bringing together all non‑violent forces, including non-violent Islamists, in order to rebuild trust in politics and the economy in an inclusive political process.
Lastly, Parliament called on the EU, in particular the VP/HR and the EU Delegation in Cairo, to ensure regular exchanges with human rights defenders and to report on the current state of military and security cooperation by EU Member States with Egypt, and to develop a roadmap in close consultation with the European Parliament outlining concrete steps to be taken by the Egyptian authorities to improve significantly the human rights situation.