Ibrahim Halawa still on hunger strike, says sister

Ibrahim Halawa, the Irish teenager who has been awaiting trial for two years in an Egyptian jail, is still on hunger strike, according to family members.

The 19-year-old from Firhouse in Dublin wrote in a letter, smuggled from jail over two weeks ago, that he had decided to go on hunger strike until he is allowed return home to Ireland.

Mr Halawa is on trial with about 420 others who were detained at the Fatah mosque in central Cairo in August 2013 following a confrontation with security forces in the aftermath of the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi.

Mr Halawa’s trial was adjourned earlier this month and is scheduled to take place on August 2nd after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

His sister Somaia told The Irish Times that the Halawa family have urged Ibrahim not to refuse food and are very concerned for his health.

“He’s being treated as a second class citizen, he’s not being treated as a full Irish citizen,” said Ms Halawa. “We cannot believe at this stage that the Irish Government cannot secure his welfare. In prison he has no basic human rights.”

Ms Halawa said her mother returned from Egypt last week after spending nearly a year in the country to provide support for her son. Her sister will now take over visiting her brother in prison.

Speaking in the Dáil earlier this month, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he had advised against Mr Halawa's hunger strike, saying it would be detrimental to his health and was "unlikely to serve any positive purpose as regards his trial".

Mr Flanagan said the trial “must be completed before any political consideration of a possible release by the Egyptian authorities can take place”. He added that it would be “unrealistic” to expect Mr Halawa’s release before the initial trial concludes.

“While we will continue to bring all of our influence to bear on his behalf through appropriate channels, the decision to release Ibrahim Halawa will ultimately be a decision that is made solely by the Egyptian authorities.”

Mr Halawa’s trial has been put back seven times since his arrest in Cairo almost two years ago.

Mr Flanagan said the Irish embassy in Egypt would continue to provide “strong consular support” for Mr Halawa and “monitor his health and conditions in detention”.

A statement from Amnesty International Ireland reiterated its call for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Mr Halawa.

“Ibrahim Halawa should have not been in detention in the first place as he is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and assembly,” it writes, adding that Amnesty is “especially concerned for Ibrahim’s physical and psychological wellbeing while in this prolonged period of detention”.