Egypt's public prosecutors have effectively cleared four police officers who are due to go on trial in 2021 in connection with the controversial death of Italian postgraduate student Giulio Regeni.
Regeni, 28, disappeared on 25 January 2016, the fifth anniversary of the start of the uprising which ended the rule of Hosni Mubarak, who had been Egypt’s president for 30 years.
He had been studying trade unions in Egypt, and investigators believe he may have antagonised powerful elements in the Egyptian police.
His body was found almost a week later and a post mortem examination showed he signs of torture.
Egyptian police have denied any involvement in Regeni's killing.
Italian prosecutors said earlier this month they planned to charge four senior members of Egypt's security services with "aggravated kidnapping" and one of them will also be indicted for "conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.” The Italians intend to put them on trial in absentia in 2021.
The Italians gave the four 20 days to respond but that deadline expired on Wednesday, 30 December.
Egypt's public prosecutors said on Wednesday: "There is no point in launching a criminal case (over Regeni's torture and killing) ... due to the lack of knowledge of the perpetrator."
They also decided to "exclude what was attributed (by Italian prosecutors) to four officers ... from the papers in that incident."
Italy's foreign ministry said the Egyptian position was "unacceptable" and added: “We will continue to act in all forums, including the European Union, so that the truth about the barbaric murder of Giulio Regeni can finally emerge."
Intelligence sources told Reuters in 2016 that police had arrested Regeni outside a Cairo metro station and took him to a compound where he was interrogated by Homeland Security officers.