Italian writer says felt betrayed by France

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italian journalist and writer Corrado Augias said he returned his Legion of Honor, the highest French order of merit, after it was also presented to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who came to power in 2013 through a coup.

“Actually, it is due to two incidents that happened simultaneously. The two news; the public prosecutors in Rome disclosed Giulio Regeni was tortured before the murder, and that Macron granted the Legion of Honor to Egyptian President Sisi, came out almost at the same time. And this made me angry,” he told Anadolu Agency.

Regeni, 28, was an Italian researcher and doctorate student in Egypt, who went missing on Jan. 25, 2016 -- the fifth anniversary of a popular uprising that forced late President Hosni Mubarak to step down after 30 years in power. Nine days later, the researcher's naked body was found in a ditch on a highway in Cairo.

After years of investigations conducted by Italian prosecutors, despite a lack of cooperation from Cairo, Rome prosecutor’s office earlier this month requested trial for four Egyptian officers, including a general.

A few days before the trial, French President Emmanuel Macron awarded the prestigious Legion of Honor medal to Sisi during a three-day state visit last week.

Egyptian authorities deny any involvement in Regeni’s death.

Augias said once he made his decision, he called the editor-in-chief of La Repubblica, the newspaper he writes for, and shared his intention of returning the award to the French Embassy in Italy. He later sent a letter to the paper explaining his decision.

“I’ve lived in Paris for many years. I’m still living, but not nowadays due to COVID-19.

“My family is from the Provence region of France. Therefore, my ties with France are strong, but my recent act has nothing to do with these ties,” he told Anadolu Agency.

“It is neither to France nor to its President Emmanuel Macron. It is just to show that I disagree with this move of Macron,” he added.

He said Macron's act of awarding Sisi with the medal felt like being "betrayed by a lover."

"When I went to return my medal to the Ambassador, I reminded him of Libyan Dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s visit to Rome in 2009. He was welcomed at the Quirinale (Presidential Palace) with a formal ceremony. He was hosted at dinners, but he was never given a medal,” he added.

The writer said Italy should put more pressure on Egypt to demand justice for their citizen. But he added cutting all relations with Egypt would not work well.

"If, as some say, Italy cuts off all relations with Egypt, the next day we will face a situation where all Italian industry will leave Egypt. Immediately after that, German, French industries will take our place. This may not work very well," he said.

* writing by Iclal Turan in Ankara