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Updated 4pm
A BAIL APPLICATION for Dubliner Ibrahim Halawa in Cairo has been refused and yet again his trial has been adjourned.
Halawa was due to appear in court today – more than a year-and-a-half after he was detained for taking part in a protest in the Egyptian capital. His trial has been postponed five times today, once again, it has been adjourned, this time until 6 June.
The Tallaght man has been held in Egypt since August 2013 after he was arrested at a mosque during a march protesting the ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi.
Speaking today after the bail application was refused, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he was disappointed, as the application had been supported by the Irish government.
“Our objectives in this case remain clear – to see this young Irish citizen released by the Egyptian authorities, and to provide consular support while he remains in detention.
“With the Taoiseach’s full support, I remain committed to taking all appropriate action in pursuit of our two objectives towards achieving a positive outcome for this young Irishman and his family.”
The minister said he will meet tomorrow with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry in New York.
Halawa’s sisters have been campaigning for his release – and his sister Fatima recently reported that her brother has been moved to a death penalty cell.
He has been designated a ‘prisoner of conscience’ by Amnesty International – and the human rights group has warned that he could face the death penalty if convicted.
Halawa’s sisters and opposition politicians have called on the Taoiseach to directly intervene in the situation, saying that after 600 days it was time for him to put pressure on Egyptian authorities.
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Enda Kenny said he was “across the situation and concerned” and that he was being kept up to date on the case by Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan.
Former Justice Minister Alan Shatter has also thrown his support behind the Halawa sisters’ campaign to have their brother released.
“We have very good diplomatic relations with Egypt,” Shatter observed during a Late Late Show interview last month, adding:
I think now this has reached a point where we should question the nature of our diplomatic relations, if this continues on indefinitely.
Halawa is facing charges of murder, attempted murder and participating in an illegal protest.
Read: Trial postponed for fifth time as Ibrahim pleads ‘They’re killing me here, they’re torturing me’
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This the same fella who ripped up his Irish passport at a rally!!!
You tube have been busy taking diwn that video .
Ye Colm O’Gorman throws a little hissyfit over it.
Did the Department of Foreign Affairs not rubbish the claims that he had been tortured and had been moved to a “death penalty” cell a few weeks ago?
Yeah the journal just forget to tell us that!
Because it’s not true?
@Paul Charlie Flanagan and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly refuted the lies being spread by the family and supporters of Ibrahim Halawa.
“In a letter to the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Pat Breen, Mr Flanagan corrects some inaccurate reports relating to Mr Halawa that have appeared in recent weeks.
Mr Flanagan said there was no basis to reports Mr Halawa was “being tortured at Wadi Al-Natrun [prison], and being held on death row, there were further recent suggestions that he had gone missing from the prison.
“The day after these reports were received, an Irish Embassy official conducted a routine and previously planned consular visit – the 37th such visit to Ibrahim since he was detained.
“At this meeting it was clear that he had not gone missing; there may have been a misunderstanding as to what part of the prison he was detained in.
“Following requests made by the Irish Ambassador, Ibrahim is no longer sharing a cell with convicted criminals. He is now sharing a cell with other remand detainees from his trial,” wrote Mr Flanagan.”
After a previous delay in their brothers trial Ibrahim Halawa’s sisters repeatedly claimed not enough was being done by the Irish government, saying in a media interview;
“At a consular level, I am really appreciative of the hard work by the minister, Charlie Flanagan.
But it’s so upsetting that I have been trying for two months to ask for a meeting. No matter how many times I say how urgent it is, he is not answering my calls.
I really don’t understand why I am being ignored. Why does he not have time for a meeting with us as a family?”
“Minister Flanagan responded: I am disappointed to learn of the further delay today and concerned that the Egyptian authorities continue to consider Ibrahim’s case as part of a group trial.
I have personally raised the Government’s concerns about this case with my Egyptian counterpart on a number of occasions.”
A spokesman from the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Mr Flanagan had met with Ibrahim’s family on July 31 last.
The spokesman added that senior officials at the department have been in touch with Ibrahim’s family “on an almost daily basis” and that the Irish Ambassador to Egypt, Isolde Moylan, had met with Ibrahim 33 times.
The hearing had been due to take place yesterday morning in Tora prison, but the trial date has now been moved to March 29 to a courtroom outside the capital city.”
I can’t see how it can be made any clearer, the family and supporters of Ibrahim Halawa have routinely lied from day one. They have been caught out on their lies yet continue with them because they seem to be getting away with them and, frankly, they’re working for them. Most people believe them. They’re painting a picture of an innocent Irish student abroad who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and now finds himself being tortured in a prison on death row. They claim our government have abandoned them and are guilty of racism.
All these claims are complete lies and have been proven so. All the siblings were in Egypt for a month protesting in support of the diposed Muslim Brotherhood Egyptian president Morsi, there is even video evidence of this. While at a rally for this the Egyptian authorities had enough and cracked down on them, it was then that Ibrahim was arrested. In the confusion that followed the family couldn’t decide if they were there visiting relatives or on holiday, but they quickly closed all social media accounts and tried to cover up all evidence of the real reason they were in Egypt. They failed. They then began a PR campaign to paint their brother as a simple Irish student caught up in this “foreign violence”. They’ve been caught out in so many lies at this stage they should be dismissed, in fact if they were anyone else they would be, the only reason anyone gives them the time of day is the fear of the “R” word being used. They have accused our government of racism saying if their brother had lighter skin and an Irish name more would be done for him, this came with a veiled threat that if anything happed to him they’d also hold our government responsible.
Leave him there. He has joint Egyptian and Irish citizenship, but ripped up his Irish passport. So disrespectful to the country that gave him a home and an education. I certainly do not want people living here that do not want to be Irish or live the Irish way of life but are happy to use our healthcare and education systems. Oh and and I would be happy out if his sister’s who also protested were in the prison with him. Gender equality and all that, they were only released cos they were women.
Worst case scenario, he’ll get his 72 virgins. The sisters wouldn’t have had they benefit to avail of.
It never says anywhere that these virgins will be female.
yeah paul; supporting the possible death sentence for a young man is funny; must remember to hire your firm for future kids events.
@Owen Whoa. When did anyone say they supported a possible death sentence? Paul made an off the cuff remark regarding Islamic belief in 72 virgins for a Shahid, a martyr. I added to the levity. At no point did he condone a possible death sentence.
Enda Kenny and Flanagan were right to keep their noses out of this mess. This idiot is a radical who should be formally stripped of his Irish citizenship (after all, he was seen on video ripping up his Irish passport). He was over there stirring up an anti government rally and he knew the risks, including the likelihood of death penalty if caught.
Voting yes for equality, Dave?
He “broke the law” invented by a military dictatorship which ousted the democratically elected government of Egypt in a bloody coup d’état.
If he broke Irish law, then throw the book at him.
@Diarmuid
There is being democratically-elected and there is being democratic. The Muslim Brotherhood poses a threat to people who oppose Islamic extremism.
Diarmuid, you’ve already been corrected on this point. The ‘democratically elected’ government sought to introduce large elements of sharia. The people did not want this. The military asked the 2 sides to reconcile peacefully. They didn’t. The military then held elections within a year or so. That the Muslim brotherhood was subsequently banned ( again!) Looks like a good days work to me.
The Halawas certainly wont vote yes idiot. Give young Halawa the Shiria he so desperately wants.
@Charles Rex – I have corrected Diarmuid numerous times but some people are unteachable, regardless of what facts are presented to them. The other possibility is that he himself is a Muslim brotherhood supporting Muslim using an Irish pseudonym.
Where are his parents in all this?
Well said topcat!
Its difficult for them, they don’t speak English. His father is the imam of the Clonskeagh mosque and, it’s believed, the position is at the pleasure of the Muslim Brotherhood. By sheer coincidence the mosque is also the base of operations for the European Council for Fatwa and Research, the head of which is Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi who sadly has to live in Qatar as he’s barred from entering most countries. Not Ireland of course. Yusuf al-Qaradawi is one of the highest ranking members of the Muslim Brotherhood, but that’s another coincidence.
From a Wiileaks cable:
“6. (S/NF) Comment. Post welcomes Halawa’s public statement
condemning the 7/7 attacks and terrorism in general, but
remains unconvinced that Halawa will take strong steps to
fight extremism. Despite Halawa’s statement, and the
center’s reputation as a moderate mosque in Dublin, we retain
some suspicions about his activities and can confirm that
there are known extremists that frequent ICCI:
–The head of ICCI’s European Council for Fatwa and Research
is Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, banned from entry into the
United States since 1999.
–A Moroccan poloff told U.S. emboff that the GOM requested
that he not attend ICCI for religious services as it is too
radical.
–SIMO colleagues link two of the senior staff at ICCI to
Islamic extremists in Ireland.
–At least one member of ICCI is reported to have gone on
jihad to Iraq as a suicide bomber. End Comment.”
Let him stew in his own shite,he’s a future Muslim radical fanatic,wait till his ilk start bombing and killing Irish in the name of Allah.
U know… Our government suck at a lot of things and have failed the average Irish citizen many times these past 5-6 years. But they are good at looking out for their own, abroad. And I think if this lad were as innocent as his sisters say he is, that the government would be far more pressing on the issue. But they’re not. And that tells me a lot. This kid is trouble. And will pose a serious threat in the future. Yeah, organise his release… But don’t let him back here
He is not a “kid”.
He is a grown adult.
Who cares? You made your bed, now abide by your beloved Sharia Law,.
He clearly distanced himself from his Irish nationality when he returned to Egypt and now he cries for our help when he gets locked up. You know what they say about playing with fire.
Crying for help from a predominately Catholic and Western nation because he was arrested for protesting in support of Sharia law. The Irish government are right not to be getting heavily involved in this case.
Irish citizen interned without trial for 600 days (for a long period alongside Western journalists)… supported by Amnesty International, Ireland’s only Jewish Minister for Justice, and the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs…
He holds dual citizenship actually and is being held as an Egyptian whilst in Egypt. Standard practice…
actually he was protesting against a military coup e.. but dont let facts get in the way of your support for the killing of a young guy just because he is Muslim and some anonymous nut jobs of the Journal shouted Sharia.
@Owen No, he wasn’t it isn’t that simple and to describe it like that is a misrepresentation of the facts.
In the wake of the Arab Spring Morsi was the Muslim Brotherhood candidate for the Egyptian elections, he barely won. Within a year he was deposed in a military coup due to overwhelming and enormous protests in Egypt from the people and military. In that short time Morsi had passed laws that favoured the Muslim Brotherhood and put Egypt on a path to becoming a strict Islamic state. He granted himself unlimited power that couldn’t be questioned. He caused severe financial, diplomatic and security problems for Egypt.
The overwhelming evidence shows that the Halawa’s siblings went to Egypt in the Summer of 2013 to offer support to the ousted Muslim Brotherhood president Morsi who had been deposed in the coup. The Egyptian people hated the man when he granted himself unlimited power and became a dictator, the Halawa’s wished to see him reinstated and travelled to Egypt to rally, protest and use violence to this end. It hadn’t anything to do with the coup as such but rather their support in the Muslim Brotherhood, it’s President Morsi, and their belief that he could be reinstated, by the use of violence if need be. They themselves are on record several times saying they have no issue with using violence to further their aims, they only seemed to change these beliefs when they were on the receiving end of it.
As far as I know his father is an imam in a mosque in Dublin so why are we not hearing from him and only his sister, this is not an issue for the irish government to sort out
Strange,
Why would you use @crazyrashers as a Twitter handle?
He was given all the benefits of the Irish society, such as free education. He choose his own path. Why are his sisters so afraid when they were just recently screaming about Allah and the eternal life that they will be granted. It just goes to show that they are full of it and do not really believe in their faith and just use it to rally large numbers of people in order to put fear into other people and gain control and power over them.
It’s high time that they were kicked out of this country and the message is sent out that we will not take any form of this crap in Ireland.
No sympathy whats so ever
In fairness id rather they got it over and done with so i dont have to be reading this rubbish about a radical muslim calling for the West to help him.
Exactly. Unfortunately, the uber liberals have made him into their hero, and they want him back in Ireland encouraging terror.
His father is a Muslim Brotherhood apparatchik. He’d be arrested the instant he set foot on Egyptian soil.
I think that story may have been rubbished by somebody, but these kids have to get their radical views from somewhere!
Scips, does it annoy your that our Pro-Israeli and Jewish former Minister for Justice supports Halawa and disagrees with your stance?
just to be clear Aoife; you want a military dictatorship to kill a guy for protesting against a military coup? You never heard of the Birmingham six or the Guildford four ?
#ripped up his Irish passport so leave him there.
Halawa sisters’ lies have been revealed. Their entire disingenuous campaign has been thrown out by most of us at this stage. They are not sweet little innocents these kids. I won’t say more but would ask that one does one’s research before forming a decision. Pay particular attention to their father and his position in the Muslim brotherhood, a terrorist organisation.
Hey Daragh Brophy, have you interviewed any members of this family? If so why have you not asked these girls why they took to the stage in an illegal protest? Maybe also a sky why their brother did it too, and for good measure maybe ask what where their real intentions whilst in Egypt since they’ve been video’d holding placards with various slogans on them on how they’d come from abroad to help… So how about the journal stop feeding us one sided stories and get the real facts of the story not what this family want us to believe.for example you reported that the Boy had no support from the consulate at his last hearing and that he’d been beaten and put in death row wing, the Dept Foreign Affairs later confirmed there was a representative who travelled to the courts spoke to the young man and confirmed he was not on death row. I’m not sure if the journal corrected this error but come on doesn’t that make you question the motives of this family when they spread lies?
Exactly ana – it’s time someone challenged their narrative. It’s boringly one sided mewling. Not sure how they reconcile supporting sharia with being irish.
No Ana that might be considered actual journalism.
Legally Irish but cultually Eygptian. Ireland advocates peace, the Muslim Brotherhood advocates violence. It’s very clear where his loyalty lies. No one in their right mind would go to a war torn country unless they planned on aligning themselves with one side or the other.
No loss to Ireland.rip up your passport u have made your bed now sleep in it,and send the family with him
Not going to well for poor Ibrahim on here….
yes it appears the anonymous trolls with multiple fake ids have garnered support from a odd assortment of liberals and others for killing a young guy for being a Muslim and protesting
I think Vincent Vega says it best in pulp fiction and I quote “you play with matches, you get burned”.
People should be taking note of which (mainly leftist) politicians are making Halawa a cause celebre and taking that into consideration at the next G.E.
Does it annoy you that Alan Shatter, a right wing politician, a Jewish person, a huge supporter of Israel and a former Minister for Justice, supports Halawa?
Not really, I think Shatter would do anything at the moment to poke at the current government and to keep his face in the press (did a cookery show recently). I think when it comes to some of his current views it’s a case of sour grapes!
Shatter is an arrogant charlatan whose day is done. I take little notice of anything he says or does.
@Diarmuid – Your anti-Semitic pro Islamist nonsense is becoming tiresome now.
If this is an Irish citizen he should not have gone to Egypt and got involved
Hang on, this whole Halawa tribe of cute hoors, cherry-picked Ireland. Got all the oul’ SW freebies set up, got the feet under the table in Dublin & basically stuck their greedy snouts in the trough while they spewed their muzzie dogma wherever possible!!! Irish? Don’t make us laugh. Totally un-employable, non-contributing SW passengers for life, of no use to this state whatever. Have to wonder if Big Daddy Halawa is as invisible when he collects his Dole, butter vouchers, free fuel etc etc, as he is in the media? Something to hide…..hmmm?
Is that true? I thought his father was the Imam in Clonskeagh. Surely he’s being paid to spout the CB bile to the mussies. It’s his shrill screaming sisters that annoy me- flipping cheek. If anyone has the clip of that kid ripping up his irish passport please attach link. I have been looking on YouTube
Why were this family allowed into ireland in the first place ? What skill set did they bring to the economy that could not be found among our own citizens ? Does daddy halawa do a bit of block laying or plastering along with the imam-ing ? Someone looked at their application to come here to live from outside the eu, what reasons did they give for coming here , or is there just an open door policy to people who want to come here and claim the dole and get a subsidized house ?
The liberals want to get him home so he can vote in the referendum
The liberals might want him back in Ireland , but not to vote in the referendum because he will vote no , anyway isn’t he at home ?
Paddy Power offering money back on all bets if the trial gets postponed again!
if he stayed in dublin and didn’t go protesting in a country he doesn’t live in he would be grand.
He might get the death penalty, oh dear.
Imam’s aren’t supposed to get paid, they do collect donations but I’m not exactly sure where that money goes.
Bring Our Boy Home Now!
Agreed, get him back home asap..
Why would we do anything to help an Egyptian citizen who broke the law in Egypt?
We cant even keep our own kids in the country.
Broke the law in Egypt by attending an illegal demonstration? The Egyptian military ousted the democratically elected government of the country and are hardly in a position to speak about the right to demonstrate. It was ‘illegal ‘ demonstrations that removed the previous dictatorship of Mumbark, and whether we agree with the beliefs of The Muslim brotherhood, and I certainly don’t , the people of the country elected them in free and open elections. I think this man was crazy to throw away his Irish and E.U citizenship, something which people are willing too die for as we saw only this week, but he should be able to protest against the overthrow of a democratically elected government by another military dictatorship without being locked up indefinitely without due process.
Hope they make an example of him
Gavan, the MB may have been democratically elected, but they then started dismantling democracy in Egypt.
Gavan the military gave the sides supporting and opposing the imposition of sharia laws time to reconcile. The people voted for change but not sharia, Egypt has been one of the more progressive countries and people had no wish to be Iran mark ii. Seems an odd thing to omit from your comment.
Shane the young man needs our support lets not let down a fellow citizen from Ireland.
This is democracy MB style Gavan:
http://www.cihrs.org/?p=6849&lang=en
“One year after Morsi became president, it is now clear that the priority of the presidency—and, of course, the Muslim Brotherhood —was to firmly establish the underpinnings for a new authoritarian regime in place of the Mubarak regime. It is no surprise, therefore, that the past year witnessed widespread human rights crimes, on a scale that rivaled than under the Mubarak regime. The brutal suppression of political and social protest movements did not cease; indeed, the security forces are no longer the only party to use of excessive force against demonstrators, as MB supporters have also been given free rein to use violence to punish and intimidate their opponents, including through torture and even killings.”
This is precisely why Egyptians who could see what was happening wanted rid of them.
He tore up his irish passport at a rally once!! Some citizen!!
let the country he broke the law in deal with him.
So now it’s the generally held viewpoint of the Nation – if the citizen is originally a non national and definitely if he’s of that strange alien faith and has a viewpoint we don’t agree with – then he ain’t deserving any tolerance from us real Christian Irish.
People have issues with people who were given the gift of our citizenship gallavanting off to other countries to campaign for the imposition of an Islamofascist theocratic regime. Deal with it.
A view point we don’t agree with?!
Like Sharia law, which treats women & non-Muslims as unequals. The same law which has never abolished slavery. A law that dictates stoning, crucifixion, flogging, amputation etc.
It seems that Irish citizenship is regarded as a waste of alphabet by many Irish citizens.
I don’t think people should be allowed hold dual citizenship it’s something the US and UK are trying to crackdown on and something I agree on!
I have dual citizenship.
Why do you think I should be deprived of a birthright, Ana?
Shame on every so-called irish person writing such callous crap about Ibrahim Halawa. The democratic process was suspended in Egypt by military intervention. The country is now ruled by a military junta, enforcing their line with murderous abandon. Ibrahim Halawa was protesting at the suspension of human rights in Egypt. I for one say we should help free Ibrahim Halawa
The military did what any nations military should do when threatened with the imposition of fascist theocracy upon people who have no desire for one. Kudos to General Sisi.
Even though he did his best to distance himself from the country that raised him?
How, Tadhg?
Brilliant thinking Scipio , this will save the country a fortune , someone call Enda and tell him to cancel next years election, we will just ask the FCA what they want to do.
He also took part in fighting, so he himself claims. In one of the videos he clearly states he fought and got injured from gas and stopped breathing. He wasn’t just protesting, once people realise that the better. If this lad showed remorse for his actions he would have a lot more sympathy and support but he and his family continue to lie but not only that what’s most insulting is they lie about the assistance they are getting from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the consulate abroad! That in itself is a kick in the teeth for the nation they call home!
Voluntarily taking part (a large part, by all accounts) in a dangerous protest in a politically unstable country. Multiple sources suggest there was a passport burning video. His ties to the ever popular Muslim Brotherhood also can’t seem to be swept under a rug. And finally our Irish ambassador to Egypt denied claims that he’s being tortured in prison. While I never want to see people mistreated or murdered, this man committed a crime in a foreign country. He knew what he was getting into.
600 days without trial, all of which were wasted because you could pass sentence, Tadhg?
You haven’t really got any supporting evidence for what you “heard” have you?
There’s no smoke without fire, Paul. And we know what happens when you play with fire. The lad wasn’t in Egypt on his holidays when suddenly he found himself among a protest wondering, “what’s going on here?”. I’d like to think he was too naive to realise what he was getting himself into.
There’s a nasty right-wing blogger who has a page with some translated videos of the family speaking at a rally in Egypt. The young lad is one of the speakers. I won’t be linking it here, but it’s easily Google-able.
@Ciaran
“Ibrahim Halawa was protesting at the suspension of human rights in Egypt.”
Laughable that you can’t see the irony in that statement, given that Halawa was there to support the MB and the imposition of Sharia on the people of Egypt.
Gosh. Where are the tolerant irish heard so much about before I returned to ireland?
He is just a kid who took part in a protest – not so earth shattering is it?
Given the way other prisoners have been treated by the Egyptian courts, I fear he will be executed,
Is that what people want?
He’s a grown Egyptian man who made a conscious decision to protest in support of sharia law and Islamic nutters, he’s not our problem.
There is a huge difference between being tolerant and being gullible, connachtabu.
you seems not to be short of hatred and aggression yourself young francie… perhaps a dose of the death penalty would sort you out
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