A DELEGATION FROM the Oireachtas led by Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will arrive in Egypt tomorrow to meet with Ibrahim Halawa and the Egyptian government.
The visit was confirmed by an Oireachtas spokesman this evening who said the politicians were invited by the Egyptian speaker of their house of representatives.
A spokesman said: “The purpose of the visit is to discuss parliamentary relations and foster bilateral cooperation in the areas of foreign relations, communications, agriculture, trade, transport and tourism, and to raise the case of Ibrahim Halawa, who has been in jail awaiting trial since August 2013.”
There will be meetings with the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El Sissi, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament, their trade minister among others.
Most parties will be represented by a TD.
The TDs who are travelling are:
Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghail, TD
Darragh O’Brien, Fianna Fáil
Colm Brophy, Fine Gael
Brendan Howlin, Labour
Paul Murphy, Anti Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit
Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin
Eamon Ryan, Green Party
Noel Grealish, Rural Independent Group
Arrest
Halawa and his three sisters were arrested and detained after being caught up in a protest against the sitting president’s removal from power.
His three sisters were released from prison in November, 2013.
Amnesty International said it had conducted a thorough review of the prosecution evidence and concluded that Ibrahim could not have committed the violent crimes with which he has been charged.
Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan wrote to Taoiseach Enda Kenny last year calling on him to directly intervene on behalf Halawa.
She said: “Ibrahim Halawa is an Irish citizen, a young man from Dublin, who is being held captive in Egypt without trial. This grievous injustice is going on for over three long years.
“This is the sixteenth postponement of Ibrahim’s trial. He continues to suffer appalling physical and mental degradation as he languishes in prison far from home.”
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