The Adriatico Mediterraeno 2016 prize in memory of Giulio Regeni
A very significant moment will celebrate the opening of Adriatico Mediterraneo 2016 Festival on August 27th: the award of the Adriatico Mediterraneo prize, that in all the previous editions has always been delivered to people who showed their commitment to society and culture in the Mediterranean and Adriatic area.
For this 10th edition the delivery of this prize will be an extremely important moment, as it will be handed in memory of Giulio Regeni, the researcher killed in Egypt between January and February of this year (he was kidnapped on January 25th, the anniversary of the Tahrir Square protests, and his body was found near Cairo on February 3rd). “Awarding the prize in his memory means one thing in particular: to continue to ask strongly for truth and justice for Giulio Regeni” the artistic Director of Adriatico Mediterraneo, Giovanni Seneca, said. “The killing of Giulio Regeni, the brutality of the act, the lies of the Egyptian authorities and their attempts to throw the investigations off the track, have given resonance to the respect of human rights not only in Egypt but in the whole Mediterranean basin. For a Festival like Adriatico Mediterraneo, which has always been stressing these issues, it is absolutely natural to stand by those who are asking for the truth (first of all Giulio’s parents) and to demand that human rights become an essential pillar in the future of this area”.
The prize will be handed to Giulio’s parents, Paola and Claudio Regeni, and the family lawyer Alessandra Ballerini. A public debate will follow.