Egypt's public prosecution will temporarily close investigations into the 2016 murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, whose perpetrator is still unknown, according to a joint statement by the Egyptian and Italian prosecutions on Monday. "The Egyptian public prosecution affirms that the perpetrator of the murder of the Italian student is still unknown, and [accordingly] it will temporarily close its investigation, while instructing investigative authorities [the police] to continue taking all necessary measures to reach the perpetrator of the crime," the statement said. The statement added that prosecutorial authorities in Rome “understand” the decision by their Egyptian counterpart.