Members of the Cambridge city and University Amnesty International groups today met with a member of European Parliament (MEP) representing the area of Giulio Regeni’s home in Italy, to discuss how to take the case of the murdered PhD student forward.

Isabella de Monte, the MEP for north-eastern Italy, was in Cambridge to meet with representatives of the University. She was joined at a meeting this afternoon by Alex Mayer, Labour MEP for the East of England, who thought that de Monte should also meet with activists working on Regeni’s case from Cambridge.

Addressing the meeting, at the Friends Meeting House on Jesus Lane, de Monte said that it had been a “very important meeting” with the University, because there “are some misunderstandings” between the Italian national press and the University regarding allegations of the latter’s culpability in the case.

Warning that there are “consequences for the image of the University”, de Monte recommended that representatives meet with the family of Giulio Regeni to make clear where the University stood in the case.

The University of Cambridge has come under fire from some Italian newspapers and politicians for a perceived lack of cooperation with the investigation into Regeni’s disappearance and murder. In December, daily newspaper La Repubblica published an article singling out Regeni’s supervisor, Dr Maha Abdelrahman, for criticism.

The article alleged Abdelrahman knew that independent trade unions – which Regeni was researching in Cairo – were a dangerous topic, but nevertheless encouraged him to pursue it. It also claimed Regeni had been personally worried about the topic. The article prompted 344 academics to write to The Guardian in defence of Abdelrahman.

De Monte said that in the meeting the University had stressed that they would go on supporting Abdelrahman, saying the University had spoken against the “unfair media portrayal of Abdelrahman”.

In a statement released last week, Cambridge vice-chancellor Stephen Toope condemned the treatment of Abdelrahman, calling it “inaccurate, damaging, and potentially dangerous”.

Regeni disappeared on the 25th January 2016 while in Cairo researching his PhD. His tortured body was found over a week later, and while they deny any involvement, many have accused the Egyptian authorities of having at least some role in the killing. To date, no one has been charged.

At today’s meeting, Mayer suggested that the problem was a general lack of awareness of how the PhD supervision system worked. Rather than the topic being forced on students by supervisors, PhD candidates choose their own area of work, she said.

In a more general discussion, Mayer said Egyptian foreign officials had repeatedly told her Regeni was “an isolated case”.

She said the British government “haven’t been particularly forthcoming” in pressing the case, and that while the Italian government has primary responsibility for investigating the case, that did not mean the British government was absolved of all its duties.

Today’s meeting followed news that Italian prosecutors have confirmed that Regeni was killed because he was researching independent trade union. Writing in several Italian newspapers, chief prosecutor Giuseppe Pignatone also said that Regeni had been under surveillance from Egyptian authorities up until his death.

Yesterday, a vigil was held outside Great St. Mary’s church to commemorate the two year anniversary of Regeni’s disappearance. As well as Mayer, Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner addressed the crowd who had gathered for a minute’s silence at 7:41pm, the last known time someone had been in contact with Regeni while he was alive, two years ago