Tech & Rights

A Soccer Match for Human Rights and International Justice

The spread of the initiative seeking truth and justice for Giulio Regeni shows that Italians will not let the young researcher's torture and murder go unpunished.

by Pauline Couble
Atletico Diritti, the soccer team created by Antigone and Progetto Diritti, opened the sport world's mobilization for Giulio Regeni on Sunday, April 3, with a simple message: "Truth for Giulio Regeni."

All players walked onto the field a short time before the beginning of the match, each carrying a poster with a single letter on it. Standing in a line, they held up their cards to display the message "Verità per Giulio Regeni," the young Italian researcher tortured and killed in Egypt two month ago. The truth about his death remains a mystery.

Teams take a stand for Giulio

Atletico Diritti was the first sports team to join the initiative and will followed by numerous others. The women's professional volleyball league already joined the action. The soccer teams of Serie B will do the same on April 24 and 25, three months to the day of the disappearance in Egypt of the young Italian student.

The soccer teams of Serie A should also soon answer positively to the call of Antigone, CILD, and Amnesty International.

The spread of the movement across the Italian sport world is an important sign of society's perception of the affair: Egyptian authorities involved in the death must not go unpunished.

International concerns

The Atletico Diritti homage has been covered by many media outlets. The Italian TV channel Rai was naturally present but the presence of Al Jazeera was also noticed. The Doha-based company helped air the message expressed by Antigone's members:

The Regeni affair is a matter of international justice and Human Rights. Knowing the truth and punishing those guilty of torture and murder must happen to ensure that this kind of event will not be repeated in Egypt.

Indeed, the country is no longer such a safe place. Giulio Regeni was one of eight people tortured and killed there since the begining of 2016. For all these victims, the truth must be known. Egypt has to understand that violations human rights do not go unpunished. The planned meeting between Egyptian and Italian authorities this week will hopefully bring some elements of truth to the case.

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