Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for granting me permission to raise this issue, which I have been seeking to raise for some time. As Members of the House may know, in August 2013, when Ibrahim Halawa was a 17 year old young man on holidays in Egypt with his sisters, he got caught up in the turmoil and difficulties that were then taking place in that country. Ibrahim Halawa and his sisters engaged in peaceful protest at that time and were ultimately arrested and detained. His sisters have long since been released and are no longer at risk in the context of the circumstances in which they originally found themselves. Ibrahim Halawa, who is now 19 years of age, has been held in prison in Egypt for 18 months. I know the Minister for Foreign Affairs is fully aware of Ibrahim Halawa's circumstances and has been in contact with the Egyptian authorities about him.

The trial of Ibrahim Halawa has been postponed on four separate occasions. The Irish ambassador and the Irish consular officials have been in regular contact with him. Family visits are allowed. Last year, shortly before I ceased to be Minister for Justice and Equality and following consultation with the then Tánaiste, I attempted to make contact with my counterpart in Egypt, the Egyptian Minister for Justice, on a number of occasions with a view to discussing Ibrahim Halawa's circumstances. Unfortunately, that did not prove possible and contact was not successfully made. It is normally the approach of this State to stand back and allow the law to take its course in other states with which we have good relations. We try to allow matters to be dealt with before the courts in such countries. We have good relations with Egypt, of course. Egypt is a friend of Ireland and Ireland is a friend of Egypt.

I believe matters have reached a stage where a new initiative is required. The most recent date on which the trial of Ibrahim Halawa was supposed to take place was last week. We know that the trial with which he is confronted is very different from trials in this country. It will be a mass trial with myriad charges brought against Ibrahim Halawa and approximately 490 other individuals. No court system anywhere in the world could ensure the charges brought before it in such circumstances are dealt with in a manner that makes sure each individual before the court gets justice and protects his or her individual human rights.

Ibrahim Halawa is now an Amnesty prisoner of conscience. There are concerns that he has been mistreated during his time in prison. He shared a cell with Peter Greste, the Australian al-Jazeera journalist who was released recently in response to representations made by the Australian Government and on whose behalf the al-Jazeera news network campaigned. I believe this young man, who has now been in jail for 18 months, should be released. Given that the Egyptian authorities have seen fit to release his sisters, who had been held on foot of their involvement in a demonstration, he should not be treated differently.

If it was appropriate to release them, and it was, then it is appropriate to release him.

I am asking the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to take a new initiative - that is, to request formally of the Egyptian Government and the Egyptian President that Ibrahim be released. New laws introduced in Egypt have facilitated such an approach. It was on the basis of such an approach by the Australian Government that Peter Greste was released. Ibrahim Halawa is a citizen of this State. He is a constituent of mine. His father is a leader of the Muslim community in this city and county of Dublin. I think we should now say to the Egyptian Government that it has friendly relations with Ireland and we have diplomatic relations, so please release this young man and let him return to his life and resume his education in Ireland.

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