Egyptian investigators are heading to Rome on Wednesday to hand over evidence in the investigation into the murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni. The postponement of the meeting, originally scheduled for Tuesday, has led to further criticisms of Egypt’s handling of the case by Italian officials.

Regeni disappeared in Cairo on January 25, and his body was found over a week later. Rights activists blame the security apparatus for Regeni’s death, saying that his torture and murder fit the modus operandi of Egypt’s secret service. Egyptian authorities have continued to deny this accusation, emphasizing the fact that the investigation is ongoing. Italian authorities have been dissatisfied with the pace and results of the Egyptian investigation, most recently dismissing a claim by the Interior Ministry that a criminal gang targeting foreigners in Egypt was behind Regeni’s murder.

When is the Meeting Expected to be Held?

Egyptian investigators were expected to travel to Rome on April 5 to meet with their Italian counterparts. On April 4, they announced the visit had been postponed, without giving a reason for the delay. According to initial reports, it was thought the meeting would be rescheduled to April 7. On Tuesday, however, Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek announced the delegation of investigators would arrive in Rome on Wednesday, April 6.

Who is Attending the Meeting?

Sadek said the delegation would include Egyptian investigators and police officers involved in the Regeni case. Two Egyptian magistrates and three police officers will attend the Rome meetings, according to a statement by Italian police. The Egyptian delegation is being led by Deputy General Prosecutor Mostafa Suleiman.

What is Expected to Take Place At the Meeting?

According to Italian news agency ANSA, Egyptian investigators will be handing over a 2,000 page “exhaustive dossier” to their Italian counterparts. The dossier is said to include results of investigations into Regeni’s meetings with street traders and trade unionists in Cairo. The dossier is also believed to include evidence provided by his friends. Citing Italian judicial sources, the agency also reported that Rome prosecutors will ask their Egyptian counterparts for the cell phone records of ten of Regeni’s friends and acquaintances in Egypt.

Prior to the postponement, ANSA reported Friday that Egyptian investigators were expected to admit that authorities had “kept tabs” on Regeni before his disappearance. Similar statements were published by Reuters, which cited a senior Egyptian interior ministry official as the source of the information. The official added that this did not mean that security services were responsible for his death.  

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Tuesday that a previous dossier sent to Italian investigators in March was missing key information requested by Italian prosecutors. Data that has yet to be provided includes Regeni’s cell phone records and CCTV footage from the Cairo metro. It is unclear if this information will be handed over in the meeting.  

According to The Guardian, Italy will determine after the meeting whether to resume full collaboration with Egypt or take measures against Egypt.

What Were the Consequences of the Postponement?

After Egypt announced the postponement of the meeting, Getiloni said Tuesday, “If there is not a change in tack [by Egyptian authorities], the government is ready to react, adopting measures that are both immediate and proportionate.” Addressing the Italian Senate, he said he would not accept “distorted or convenient truths” in the meeting, adding, “For [our] national interest we will not allow Italy’s dignity to be trampled on.”

This is not the first time Italian officials have criticized Egypt’s handling of the case. At the end of March, the head of the Italian Senate’s human rights committee, Luigi Manconi, called on Italy to recall its Ambassador to Egypt and to declare Egypt unsafe for visitors. “Relations should not be broken, but they should face a particularly significant revision,” he said. Manconi’s statements were made alongside Regeni’s parents, who addressed the Italian Senate in a speech. “If April 5 turns out to be an empty day we trust in a strong response from our government,” Paola Regeni said, in reference to the date on which the meeting was originally scheduled to take place. The Association for Italian Tourism also issued a statement on April 2 announcing the suspension of all package travel deals to Egypt “until the tragic events of Regeni’s murder are revealed.”

How Has Egypt Responded to the Criticism?

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Tuesday that Regeni’s murder would not affect Egypt-Italy relations. Sisi’s statement was made to a delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly during a visit to Cairo. He said Egypt was committed to “full and transparent cooperation with Italy to reveal the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.” He also brought up the case of Egyptian citizen Adel Mowad, who disappeared in Italy in October 2015, expressing Egypt’s concern with the case. ” Sisi also said that these “individual incidents” would not affect strong Egyptian-Italian relations.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not issue a full response to Getiloni’s satements, saying only, “We refrain from commenting on these statements, which complicate the situation.” The Foreign Ministry statement also underlined Egypt’s cooperation with Italian investigators, noting the upcoming visit to Rome.