A call for an inquiry into the circumstances of Giulio Regeni’s death

The ECPR is shocked to learn of the murder of Giulio Regeni, a PhD Student at an ECPR member institution, the Department of Politics and International Studies of the University of Cambridge. Giulio Regeni was in Egypt to do fieldwork for his study of changes in organised labour in that country. His body was found in Cairo on February 3. We offer our deepest condolences to Giulio’s family, friends, and colleagues. ECPR accepts that the precise circumstances of Giulio Regeni’s death have not yet been established, but the politically sensitive topic of his research, combined with State Prosecutor Ahmed Nagi’s statement that there were signs of torture on the body, raises concern that Giulio Regeni may have been killed because of his research. Academic freedom is vital for political scientists, and ECPR calls on the Egyptian authorities to conduct a full and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of Giulio Regeni’s death, and to ensure that the principles of academic freedom are honoured.

Rudy B. Andeweg

Chair, European Consortium for Political Research