TDs meet Ibrahim Halawa who says all he wants is to come home
Tallaght native Ibrahim Halawa, who has been in prison in Egypt since August 2013, has today told a delegation of TDs from Ireland that all he wants to do is go home.
Speaking with TDs earlier, which included local representatives Paul Murphy (AAA), Colm Brophy (FG) and Eoin O Broin (SF), the Firhouse man spoke of how he is currently on hunger strike and that he has spent time in solitary confinement for refusing visitors.
In series of Tweets (below) from Cairo, Paul Murphy has documented the meeting.
Just out of prison after meeting Ibrahim Halawa. His main message was “I want to go home.” #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim explained his prison conditions to us: 10 to a cell, extremely cramped, ‘bed’ only a few cm off the floor, one toilet. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim spoke to us about being in solitary confinement in a tiny cell with two others as punishment when he refused visits. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim is currently on hunger strike. He fainted yesterday as a result of low blood sugar and received a glucose injection. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim had heart trouble 3 months ago, saw a Doctor who said he needed to have a heart ‘echo’, but it still hasn’t happened. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim explained he entered prison when he was 17, is 21 now. Has missed birth of his niece, hasn’t seen sisters or father. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim: “Life is moving on and I’m still behind bars.” #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim told us that in a previous prison he was tortured, hit with metal bars and cut with metal chains. #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Ibrahim is in a max security prison reserved for those convicted of serious crimes, yet hasn’t been convicted of anything! #FreeIbrahim
— Paul Murphy (@paulmurphyAAA) January 10, 2017
Mr Halawa, who was arrested along with his sisters during a protest in Cairo, has been in prison since August 2013, and has had his trial postponed 17 times.
A thorough review of Mr Halawa’s case by Amnesty International, and the prosecution’s evidence, has already concluded that Ibrahim could not have committed the violent crimes with which he has been charged.
