Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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174. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to urge the Egyptian Government to release a person (details supplied) on humanitarian grounds. [12457/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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This consular case remains a top priority for the Government. The Taoiseach has been in regular contact directly and personally with the Egyptian President about this case. As Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I am continuing to devote very considerable time and effort to this case. I travelled to Cairo to raise the case with the Egyptian authorities at the highest levels. I have raised the case with my Egyptian counterpart on many occasions, in meetings, on the phone and in writing. My most recent meeting with Foreign Minister Shoukry took place on 6 March and I again raised this case in the most forceful terms. This was my second meeting with Minister Shoukry to discuss this case in six weeks. I also raise the case regularly with the Egyptian Ambassador in Dublin and did so again most recently in late February following reports of the citizen’s move to the hospital wing of the prison at Torah. A team of officials from our Embassy in Cairo visited this citizen on March 1st and discussed his situation with him at first hand during a visit which lasted 40 minutes.

In all of our dealings with the Egyptian authorities we have called on them to return this citizen to Ireland. In doing so, we have stressed the humanitarian aspects of this case, including this citizen’s young age, the isolation of his situation, his separation from friends and family, the very long time that he has been detained without having been convicted of any wrongdoing, and the concerns about his health.

The clear and consistent response from the Egyptian authorities has been that they must respect the separation of powers, that the Egyptian Government cannot intervene in a matter that is before the courts, and that the Egyptian President will only consider using his discretionary powers to return this citizen to Ireland after the trial process has ended.

I and my colleagues in Government will continue to work day-in and day-out on this citizen’s behalf, and will continue to engage with the Egyptian authorities to seek to ensure his early return to his home and his family in Ireland.