Updated – 5:35pm
THE TRIAL OF Irish teenager Ibrahim Halawa has been delayed again.
The mass trial, which was due to be held in Cairo today, has been adjourned until 2 August, according to his family.
This is the seventh time the trial has been postponed.
The 19 year old, from Tallaght in Dublin, has spent almost two years in an Egyptian prison. He faces charges in relation to taking part in a pro-Muslim Brotherhood rally.
Commenting today after his trial was again delayed, Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland said his heart goes out to the Halawa family.
This situation is utterly unacceptable. No one should be forced to endure a mass trial involving hundreds of other defendants with only state witnesses for the prosecution. No one should be arrested while taking refuge in a place of prayer trying to escape gunfire. No one should have to withstand the continual raising of hope that they might have their day in court, only to have that hope continually dashed – again and again.
“This young man should be at home in Ireland, continuing his studies and getting on with his life,” O’Gorman said. “I urge the Irish Government and their EU partners to continue to work on Ibrahim’s case as an absolute priority.”
“It’s too much”
Speaking on Newstalk earlier today, Ibrahim’s sister Nusayba Halawa expressed her dismay over the postponement.
I really can’t handle it anymore. It’s too much for him. It’s too much for us.
Since his last court appearance in April, Ibrahim’s family say they have become very concerned about his physical and mental well-being.
His sister Somaia says the prison he is in what is known as ‘the worst prison in Egypt’ and prisoners have killed themselves to get away from the torture there.
She previously stated, “All you can hear is him screaming and saying ‘Mama come and save me. They’re killing me here, they’re torturing me’.”
A 24-hour vigil for the teenager began outside Government Buildings yesterday afternoon. It was organised by his family with his sister Fatima using Twitter to promote it:
Arrest and charges
Ibrahim was arrested in August 2013 when he and his sisters took shelter in a mosque during violent street protests.
He faces charges relating to events at the al-Fatah mosque, including presence inside the mosque at the time of arrest, refusal to leave the mosque when requested to do so, travelling from a different part of the city with the intention of getting involved in a protest and assisting in locking and barricading the mosque from the inside.
In a letter to his family in February, the teenager wrote that he believed the Irish government would “not work hard because I am not white or with me not having an Irish name or even because my religion”.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said:
“No other consular case is receiving greater attention in the Minister, Deputy Flanagan’s Department at this time than the Halawa case.”
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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