A Rome judge has halted the trial of four high-ranking members of Egypt’s security forces on the day it began.

ROME – A prominent Italian journalist has returned his Legion of Honor to the French Embassy to protest the awarding of the prize to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi during his protest-marred visit to Paris last week. El-Sissi’s state visit sparked protests by human rights activists incensed that French President Emmanuel Macron had rolled out the red carpet while el-Sissi presides over the heaviest crackdown on dissent in Egypt’s modern history. The award ceremony was held without the press before a Sept. 7 dinner at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris. “France is on the front lines for human rights and makes no compromises,” he tweeted after Augias returned his prize. During the visit, France and Egypt signed contracts for French development aid and hospital and transport cooperation.

The investigation against another member of Egypt’s national security force was shelved due to insufficient proof, he told lawmakers. As late as last month, Egyptian prosecutors were insisting that Regeni's killer remains unknown. The torture marks resembled those resulting from widespread torture in Egyptian facilities, activists and rights groups have said. The Italian prosecutors said several witnesses, whom they identified before the parliamentary panel only by code names to protect their security, were invaluable. The Egyptian suspects can supply their own statements or other information in the next few weeks.