Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On my way to work this morning I passed Firhouse, an area of Tallaght, and I thought that is where Ibrahim Halawa should be still celebrating his 20th birthday with his family. Instead Ibrahim Halawa spent his 20th birthday in the notorious Wadi Al-Natrun prison in Egypt in a squalid, overcrowded cell where he is locked up in inhuman conditions. He lacks medical treatment. Letters from him describe regular beatings, being stripped naked in front of inmates and guards and being hit with metal chains. There is insufficient access to daylight and exercise, and journalists report that a recent letter stated that he is merely waiting in a queue for "my turn" on death row.

His family claims he has fainted on four occasions in recent weeks as his condition weakens. The Irish citizen, Ibrahim Halawa, has spent more than 800 days in pre-trial detention in Europe for allegedly taking part in an anti-Government protest in Cairo, though his lawyers say there is a lack of evidence on these charges. I spoke with them this week.

In the past 800 days there have been continual adjournments of Ibrahim Halawa's trial. Today was the tenth time he was to be brought to trial. On the ninth time the trial was adjourned due to a judicial ruling that all 494 defendants must be present for the trial to proceed, a couple of them were not present due to illness. Today we have just received word that they have adjourned the trial again. It is reported that this is because one of the 494 defendants was not in court today. It has now been postponed until next Saturday, 19 December.

I ask the Leader to convey to our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, that I and no doubt many other Senators are deeply concerned for Ibrahim Halawa's welfare and that more must be done now to secure his release. Further action is required. It is time to secure Ibrahim Halawa's freedom and bring him home.