Cairo: Egyptian prosecutors have rejected an Italian request to treat several policemen as suspects in the 2016 killing of an Italian graduate student in Cairo, saying there is not enough evidence to warrant such a move, according to Egypt’s state-run news agency.

The report, published Monday in Egypt’s state-run newspapers, said the request was made during talks in Cairo last week between Italian and Egyptian prosecutors. It said the Egyptians turned down a similar request a year ago.

The policemen in question are the same ones assigned surveillance of the student, Giulio Regeni, because of his research into independent trade unions in Egypt, said the Middle East News Agency report, which quoted an unnamed judicial official.

The MENA report said the Egyptian prosecutors asked the Italians to investigate why Regeni had entered on a tourist visa. It was not clear what bearing that would have on the case.