Vigil for researcher Giulio Regeni at Soas

Dozens of students at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) gathered together in a vigil in the memory of Giulio Regeni, on Wednesday evening.

Giulio Regeni was a Phd student at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies. He was found dead in Egypt in unclear circumstances, but with evidence of torture and violence on his body.

The several mysteries surrounding his death and the vague answers by the Egyptian police led to several critics in Italy. This is the reason that pushed students at Soas to express their solidarity and ask for the truth.

At 5pm, the students put a banner on the ground at the university’s entrance saying: “We all are Giulio. We pretend truth. Freedom of speech in Egypt.”

They then sat down in silence handing several candles. Many students were Italians as Regeni, and they shared with him the same passion for research on developing and problematic countries.

Miriam Morhart, a student of Development and planner said: “Giulio’s death affected us. It could have happened to every of us.”

She went on: “We are also here to ask the Italian and British governments to do more to find the truth. There is an entire generation in Egypt who can be killed and arrested just for expressing what they think.”

It has been launched a petition to ask the British government to ensure a full investigation over the Regeni’s death. The petition gathered about 2500 signatures so far, and it will be considered for a Parliamentary debate reaching 100,000.

On Thursday, Regeni’s funeral will take place, but no steps up have been done in the investigations, which is still unclear and mysterious.

Students promised to go ahead with new meetings and vigils in order to push toward the truth.

Read it on my blog: https://senzaocchiali.com/2016/02/11/vigil-for-researcher-giulio-regeni-at-soas/