Ibrahim Halawa.Ibrahim Halawa was seventeen when he was detained and accused of involvement in the protests at the Al-Fateh Mosque in Cairo during a “day of rage” that was held by the Muslim Brotherhood following the ousting of ex-president Mohamed Morsi. From the outset, Halawa’s legal battle has been one of obstacles and entanglements, and has proven to be the most high-profile case for the Irish Foreign Office in years.
He is one of thousands of protesters who have been swept up by Egypt’s repressive Law 107, a coercive decree issued in the aftermath of the country’s 2013 military coup. Almost 1,300 days after the initial arrest, Halawa is still being held in captivity. Labelled as a prisoner of conscience by Reprieve and Amnesty International, over 25,000 actions to date have been taken by people in Ireland calling for his release.
On 14th February, Halawa’s mass trial (which, including himself, covers four hundred and ninety-four defendants) was adjourned for a staggering nineteenth occasion, this time because of the failure of four witnesses to attend court.
This has left the twenty-one-year-old Irish citizen and the long-running campaign for his release and ultimate freedom in a precarious position once again. For the Firhouse student, who has been detained in Egyptian prison for over three-and-a-half years, finding himself locked between a number of legal efforts surrounding a judicial process seemingly without end, and a political game which has so far yielded similarly meagre results, it appears difficult to see any real, short-term closure for the young man. Halawa recently began a hunger strike as a show of protest against the unending trial as well as the prison conditions he is being kept in. The charges brought against him could result in him being issued the death penalty.
