Rome (NEV), July 26, 2020 – “We renew our appeal to the Government to suspend all current exports and contracts in the process of being authorized for the supply of armaments and military systems to Egypt until the Egyptian authorities shed full light on the death of the young Italian researcher, barbarously tortured and killed in their Country. We confirm to Giulio Regeni’s parents our closeness, our solidarity and our support for their request to the authorities to shed full light on the killing of their son so that truth and justice can be reached as soon as possible”.
Disarmament Network, which includes the Globalization and Environment Commission (GLAM) of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), speaks on the hearing of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, at the Parliamentary Inquiry Commission into the death of Giulio Regeni, in relation to the granting of the authorization to supply to Egypt the two Fremm frigates already destined for the Italian Navy (Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi).
Disarmament Network asks the Government to submit to the examination and opinion of the Chambers the supply to Egypt of four other frigates, 20 patrol boats, together with 24 Eurofighter multirole fighters and 20 M346 trainer aircraft and other military material with a value between 9 and 11 billion euros. “Law 9 July 1990 n. 185 – says a note from the Network – in fact establishes a ban on exporting armaments’ to countries in a state of armed conflict, contrary to the principles of article 51 of the United Nations Charter, without prejudice to compliance with the Italian international obligations or other various resolutions of the Council of Ministers, to be adopted after consulting the Chambers’ (art.1, c.6 a) “.
The press release also points out that law 185/90 makes explicit the prohibition on exporting armaments to countries whose policy conflicts with article 11 of the Italian Constitution and to countries “whose governments are responsible for serious violations of international conventions on human rights, ascertained by the competent bodies of the United Nations, the EU or the Council of Europe” (art.1, c.6 d).
In this regard, the United Nations “Committee against Torture”, in a report (A / 72/44) sent to the General Assembly in May 2017, ascertained these violations reaching “the inevitable conclusion that torture is a systematic practice in Egypt”. The European Parliament has also highlighted in two specific resolutions (Resolution 13 December 2018 and Resolution 24 October 2019) that in Egypt “serious violations of the right to life continue to be committed through the judiciary that issued and executed an ever greater number of sentences to death against many individuals – including minors – in particular following military and mass trials lacking the minimum guarantees of a fair process”.
The Disarmament Network also takes this opportunity to solicit the immediate and unconditional release of Patrick Zaky, the student of the University of Bologna who has been detained in the Tora prison without trial for over five months.
, July 26, 2020 - “We renew our appeal to the Government to suspend all current exports and contracts in the process of being authorized){kind=link}