Written answers

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Human Rights Cases

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person's (details supplied) trial was postponed for the fifteenth time on 2 October 2016 and that their trial is adjourned until 12 November 2016; if he has contacted his Egyptian counterpart over yet another trial postponement; and if he will ensure maximum diplomatic pressure is now placed on the Egyptian Government as it is clear that the trial is unlikely to end anytime soon. [29362/16]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The case of this citizen remains a high priority for me and the Government. The Government is continuing to use every possible opportunity to underline our concerns about this case to the Egyptian authorities, and also with the EU.

At the last hearing (29 June), the trial was adjourned following an application by defendants for an expert review of the audio-visual evidence in this case. It was originally anticipated that a technical hearing connected to the audio-visual evidence review would take place on 2 October. However the hearing did not proceed as the 2nd of October was designated as the opening day of the Hijra (Islamic New Year) Feast, and a public holiday.

The Court Office has indicated that the next hearing date is likely to be 12 November and we are awaiting confirmation of this date through official channels. On Sunday 2 October, I spoke with Egypt’s Ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Ms. Soha Gendi, expressing my concern about this further delay in the case and I once again underlined the Government's strong desire to see this citizen returned to Ireland as soon as possible. Our immediate and ongoing efforts are focused on pressing the case with the Egyptian authorities for a positive response to the application made in August under Presidential Decree 140.

I have regular contacts with my Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Shoukry, on this case. On 24 September I met with Minister Shoukry in New York where I again stressed my concerns at the repeated delays in the court proceedings and reinforced the Government’s support for the Decree 140 application. This was the latest in a series of contacts which included my visit to Cairo in July. Both I and the Taoiseach have communicated our support for the Decree 140 application to Minister Shoukry and President el-Sisi respectively.

As has been previously reported to the House, the Taoiseach has been in direct contact on a number of occasions with President el-Sisi about this case, underlining the Government’s concerns about the continuing detention of this young man, who has been in prison for over three years now without having been convicted of any crime, and who is part of a group trial that has been adjourned on a large number of occasions.

The Taoiseach and I will engage further with the Egyptian Government as and when appropriate, in line with our key focus of securing this citizen’s best interests; this means continuing our determined efforts to see him released by the Egyptian authorities at the earliest possible opportunity and, in the meantime, providing consular support for his welfare while he remains in detention.

All of the sustained and focused actions that have been taken by my Department throughout this case have been aimed at furthering these two objectives, and importantly, avoiding any action that could be counterproductive or detrimental to this citizen’s best interests.

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