Italy investigates five Egyptian forces suspects over disappearance of student

Italian prosecutors have placed five members of Egypt's security forces under official investigation for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of student Giulio Regeni, a judicial source said.

Regeni, a 28-year-old postgraduate student at Cambridge University, vanished in Cairo in January 2016. His body was found almost a week later and a post-mortem showed he had been tortured before his death.

Egyptian officials have repeatedly denied any involvement in Regeni's killing. The five security officials are being investigated for allegedly kidnapping Regeni. Being placed under official investigation in Italy does not imply guilt and does not automatically lead to a trial.