Minister’s office defends his efforts in Halawa case

THE office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charles Flanagan, has defended his level of involvement in the case of imprisoned Irish teen Ibrahim Halawa.

The 19-tear-old has been detained in an Egyptian prison since he was arrested alongside his sisters during a protest in Ramsis, when at least 97 people died, in August 2013.

Ibrahim and his sisters Somaia, Fatima and Omaima, who live in Firhouse, were arrested at the al-Fateh mosque while attending a march against the ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi.

The sisters were allowed to return to Dublin after three months.

However, Ibrahim has been charged, along with 493 others, of murder, attempted murder and participating in an illegal protest.

He had been due to face a court in Cairo, but the date has been put back, for the fourth time, to March 29.

After his most recent hearing was postponed, Dublin Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan called on Minister Flanagan to be more proactive and to exert pressure on international authorities to secure the release of Ibrahim.

“The continued postponement of Ibrahim’s trial and his ongoing detention is evidence that he will not receive a fair trial,

? Ms Boylan claimed.

“Ibrahim has now been detained for over 500 days and has had his trial postponed four times. Ibrahim was peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly but could face the death penalty if convicted.

“The Minister for Foreign Affairs must be more vocal in his condemnation of Mr Halawa’s continued detention and must use every means at his disposal to help secure Ibrahim’s immediate release.

?

However, a spokesperson for Minister Flanagan said officials, including Ireland’s Ambassador to Egypt, Isolde Moylan, have visited Ibrahim on no fewer than 34 separate occasions, most recently on Saturday, February 7.

“Minister Flanagan has taken a very active and sustained interest in the case,

? the spokesperson said.

“On his first day in office Minister Flanagan called his Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Shoukry, to raise the Government’s concerns about the continued detention of Ibrahim Halawa and the importance of due process in his case.

“The minister has since discussed this case with Minister Shoukry on a number of occasions, including at two face-to-face meetings. The minister has continuously asked that the charges against Ibrahim Halawa be reviewed, and that he be released and permitted to return home to Ireland.

“He has emphasised that Ibrahim Halawa was only 17 when the alleged offences took place, and there is a necessity for him to return to Ireland as soon as possible to continue his studies for his Leaving Certificate examination.

“Minister Flanagan also raised this case numerous times with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, and her successor HRVP Federica Mogherini, most recently in Dublin on January 12.

“This case has received significant and constant attention by officials in Dublin and in Cairo,

? the spokesperson added.

“The Embassy of Ireland in Cairo has been in sustained and direct contact with the Egyptian authorities in relation to the case, and contacts have included numerous meetings at ambassadorial level with senior officials from the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Justice, and the office of the Prosecutor General.

“Ireland will continue to work with EU partners as well as the European External Action Service to seek to progress this case. We will continue to use all appropriate international channels to highlight our ongoing and serious concerns on this case.

?

Speaking to Southside People from her Firhouse home before Christmas, Ibraham’s sister Somaia (28), who had been arrested with Ibraham but later released, appealed to our readers to help the campaign to get her brother released.

“We need to keep fighting for Ibraham’s release,

? she said.

“We have an ongoing campaign to put pressure on the authorities to release Ibraham but we need all the help we can get.

?