Today, Ibrahim Halawa learned that there has been yet another adjournment in his mass trial. Ibrahim has now spent 45 months in prison as Egypt continues to ignore its obligations under both Egyptian and international human rights law. Amnesty International has declared Ibrahim a Prisoner of Conscience, based on its own eye-witness evidence that he could not have carried out the acts he is accused of.
Today’s hearing went ahead but witnesses who were called failed to appear. The court today agreed on a list of 18 witnesses who will be called at the next hearing which is scheduled for 4 July 2017. It is not envisaged that any further witnesses will be called by the prosecution when their testimony is completed.
Amnesty International this afternoon hosted a public demonstration to highlight Ibrahim’s case and call on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Ibrahim and order his immediate and unconditional release. The demonstration which was held this afternoon outside the Egyptian Embassy, included representatives from Union of Students in Ireland (USI), the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), SIPTU, UpLift and members of the Halawa family.
In recent months, Ibrahim’s innocence has been further vindicated by Egypt’s own legal system. A court-appointed Technical Committee reviewed audio-video material presented in the case, and found no evidence against him. The Committee’s report, which was ordered after almost three years of detention, does not even mention Ibrahim.
“Ibrahim Halawa’s trial has been adjourned 24 times since he was first detained in August 2013. He has now spent 1,357 days imprisoned in Egypt. Amnesty International has conducted a thorough, independent review of the prosecution evidence and concluded that Ibrahim was arrested solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of assembly and expression. His ongoing detention represents an inexcusable violation of both international and Egyptian law. This young Irishman’s ordeal has been nothing short of horrific. He has spent almost four years of his young life in harrowing conditions in a number of different prison cells. It is long past time that he be released and allowed to return home to his family in Dublin.
“Amnesty International continues to be concerned for Ibrahim’s mental and physical wellbeing. We reiterate our call on the Egyptian authorities that they drop all charges against Ibrahim and order his immediate and unconditional release. We urge the Irish Government to continue working on his behalf and to use every means at its disposal to secure his release,” said Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland.
Ibrahim Halawa was just 17 years old when he was first detained in August 2013. He faces a mass trial alongside 493 other defendants, which cannot meet the standards required for a fair trial as defined under international human rights law.
Ibrahim’s trial has been rescheduled for 4 July 2017.
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