Written answers

Thursday, 17 July 2014

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Human Rights Issues

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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44. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts made to help free the Al Jazeera journalists imprisoned in Egypt; if the Egyptian ambassador has been summoned regarding the issue; his plans on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32360/14]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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I share the widespread international concern over the severe sentences imposed by a court in Cairo on 23 June on a number of Al Jazeera journalists for essentially doing no more than their job. The Government has condemned this verdict, which amounts to the criminalisation of the legitimate activities of a free press, and represents an unacceptable restriction on freedom of expression and fundamentally undermines the credibility of the Egyptian judicial system. I raised our concerns directly with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry in a phone conversation I had with him on Monday 14 July, indicating the widespread concerns raised by this case, and which we fully share, in respect of upholding of basic rights such as the freedom of expression and the rights of a free press. I also raised the passing of mass death sentences by the court in Minya earlier this year. I urged that any possible steps to appeal or review these sentences should be adopted as a matter of importance. I also set out our strong concerns in respect of the case of Ibrahim Halawa. Egypt’s new constitution provides guarantees for the fundamental rights of its people which the Egyptian courts, regrettably, do not appear to have fully recognized and vindicated in a number of recent verdicts, including that of the Al Jazeera journalists. This is deeply worrying to those of us who wish to support Egypt and the Egyptian people in their ongoing difficult transition to democracy.

These concerns have been clearly communicated in our ongoing contacts with the Egyptian authorities, both here and through our Embassy in Cairo, most recently by senior officials in my Department at a meeting with the Egyptian Embassy two weeks ago which specifically conveyed the Government’s concerns over the recent Al Jazeera verdicts as well as the continued detention of Ibrahim Halawa.

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