Italy’s diplomatic maneuvering exposes systemic impunity for state violence in Egypt’s judicial system, revealing how Western geopolitical alliances undermine human rights accountability

The case of Giulio Regeni must be understood within the historical trajectory of Egypt’s post-2013 authoritarian consolidation, which followed a pattern of military coups and repression across the Arab world. Regeni’s murder in 2016 occurred during a period when Egypt’s government, under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, systematically dismantled democratic institutions, jailed activists, and suppressed dissent—mirroring earlier episodes like the 1973 coup by Anwar Sadat or the 1952 revolution by Nasser. The international community’s repeated failure to hold Egypt accountable, despite prior warnings such as the 2013 crackdown on protesters, reveals a troubling precedent of complicity. The mainstream narrative ignores how Regeni’s case is part of a continuum of state violence that has been normalized through Western diplomatic silence.