Ibrahim Halawa’s sisters, from left, Somaia, Nosayba, Fatima and Omaima
Last night.
Leinster House, Kildare Street
The family of Ibrahim Halawa say they will return each day to Leinster House until the Irish Government secures his release.
Ibrahim , a 17-year-old irish citizen, was arrested in Egypt in 2013 for attending a banned demonstration.. His trial, along with 420 others, has been adjourned a number of times, the last time on Sunday. A new date of December 15 has been set.
Fatima, Omaima and Somaia were arrested alongside Ibrahim but were released after three months.
Free Ibrahim Halawa (Facebook)
(RollingNews.ie)
Sponsored Link
Well they’re wrapped up well for the coming winter anyway.
Knob
Why? With that passion I guess you’re taking the weekends? It was also more a tongue in cheek comment about the ineffective approach by our government bit sure jump on an innocuous comment if you feel better.
Oh it was ironic. Right…
Ironic?….a joke Don, a joke.
Dόn Pídgéόní is a rabid member of the humor police with extreme fringe views scouring broadsheet for anything he/she can can be morally superior on……
human=king of the knobs
So there’s someone else Don? I thought we had something special…
Why is this news. He broke the law in a country he’s no longer a citizen of, since he’s always mentioned as “irish” teenager why was he over there.
I thought he held dual citizenship. No?
Maybe he does I’m not sure. But if you want to protest in a country then surely you would consider your self part of that country. Am i the only one who thinks the Irish citizenship was his get out of jail free card, Which I’m delighted failed him.
You’re “delighted” this young lad is banged up in a hellhole? You sound more than a bit psychotic.
Not young, Law breaker.
Even so, isn’t it the passport you are travelling under that determines your citizenship in this case?
Nope, don’t think so. Once you enter a country where you hold citizenship, you are a national and only a national.
I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Imagine DOB getting maltese nationality and a diplomatic passport. He could claim diplomatic immunity every time he cooked in his non-existent kitchen.
No, you’re definitely wrong.
I’m going to need more than that hugely clarifying statement, sorry.
You’re on the internet. Use google. You’re so wrong it’s actually funny.
@Spaghetti You were correct after all, Egypt seems to have an unusual way of dealing with dual citizenship. http://www.aucegypt.edu/offices/Supply/BSS/Pages/Informationfor.aspx
This other link (http://www.egyptembassy.net/consular-services/immigration-citizenship/dual-citizenship-approval/) says (translated by Google Translate) that “Nationality is a political and legal bond connecting the individual state, and consequent to become a member of its people, he committed allegiance to her, in return for its commitment to the protection of the law at home and abroad”
So what matters is which passport did he use when entering the country, something that doesn’t seem to be on public record.
Thanks for that extra info manolo. I only knew from a consular and visa point of view that you can’t be à la carte about citizenship in some countries.
This Halawa case though – hard to find the facts – all I seem to find is stuff about him ripping up his Irish passport.
Agreed, lots of noise, very little on facts.
Wait, so Manolo’s not an anti-democratic anti-muslim racist pig for asking questions? He was just a little unclear about things and tried to find out more here?
Gosh, I should remember never to listen to anyone too MoyestwithExcitable again despite their charming way of engaging in debate.
That kind of made me tingle, like…
http://markhumphrys.com/halawa.html
Why is this the Irish governments problem. So did his sisters think it was ok for him to travel at such a young age and for the sole purpose of protesting.
Why is this the Irish governments problem? – because he’s an Irish citizen and was even born in the Coombe.
…..at such a young age…. – He was 17 when he left, and had been there many times before with his older sisters.
….for the sole purpose of protesting…. – He and his sisters traveled to Egypt to spend summer with family / cousins as they did every year.
You are a knob.
I feel bad for his family, but what do they expect the govt to do? He is receiving consular assistance, and I’m fairly sure the govt is making what representations they can, but Egypt is a sovereign nation, we can’t insist they let him go just because he is Irish.
Lots of people get released for a very similar reason, lots of politicking behind the scenes to get them released and make the bad publicity go away for the country where they are imprisoned.
Indeed they do, but in this instance we don’t have many strategic links with them, they don’t have much money invested in us… As little leverage as we do have, I am sure that the DFA is already using it as far as it can.
Egypt in in the midst of a civil war; I imagine that the lobbying of a small western European country of little import will only go so far.
Maybe. But for a country that dependent on tourism (well, when things settle down a bit), these things can make potential tourists jumpy.
He’s not irish. Citizenship or not, if was willing to protest in Egypt surely he considers him still part of the country and not Irish.
I know some Irish nurses working in London that joined in a ballot for better working conditions in a bigger hospitals… should they all be arrested for this peaceful protest and left to rot in jail for their crime too? Enquiring minds need to know…
he is getting a lot more consular assistance than the average irish joe who runs foul of foreign laws, lawmen or dictators.
One if they were cynical would believe it’s because he is a muslim which is one of the top levels of rank in the pc-left view of the world. I guess government are forced into something in response to “campaigns” and media highlights.
I don’t know if he is innocent but I doubt it , but i do know I wouldn’t be afforded such a media spolight if I were in trouble
*PC KLAXON*
You probably would receive a similar level of support if you were being held for an extended period of time in a jail in Egypt.
**AGENDA ALERT**
Dόn Pídgéόní is pushing his mad political agenda AGAIN.
D- for trolling
D- for being a MASSIVE regressive leftist.
Brilliant, you can’t even come up with your own insults.
Probably ?
What is this extensive knowledge of diplomatic back channels based on ?
The same evidence that other people on here seem to have of the entire case – pulling it out of my a**.
I love it when definitely not racists think they can tell people what nationality they are.
Every day? do they have any jobs to go to?
I wonder how would it work out if they went on a protest outside government buildings in a country where sharia law prevails.
Sorry, but how the f**K is that in any way relevant?
How would they fare under Congolese law I wonder? Or Brehon Law? Fun game!
“ooooh ders dem muslums i betr tawk bout shakira law der hahahahaha lololo duz b mentle xxx”
tosser.
Does the fact that the sisters advocate for Sharia law make my comment relevant?
Attack the message, not the messenger, w@nker.
Do you have proof of that? And does that mean he should be imprisoned without trial?
I actually don’t like un-democratic governments as much as I dislike people who advocate for laws that ignore human rights and civil liberties. I only know what the press and the sisters say, and I don’t trust any of these sources in this subject. Thus I feel that I am insufficiently informed to take a position about Halawa’s incarceration – so I have never taken a position on that.
I do, however, find it amusing to see people using their democratic rights of speech to campaign for an undemocratic system that wouldn’t allow them to speak out.
And I’m asking for proof of that. The rest of that is very silly.
Here, you know where to find them. Go there and ask them yourself.
Ah, so you can’t back it up. Got it.
Of course he can’t back it up. These definitely not racists constantly mistake their feelings for objective facts. It’s both hilarious and desperately sad.
No point trying to argue with regressive leftists they have their critical faculties switched off
Here are two connections that need to be tested, but I admit bias in believing they exist (open to corrections):
1. Halawa siblings – Muslim brotherhood
2. Muslim brotherhood – Sharia Law
So you just think they are connected rather than having evidence of it? This is silly. And naturally leads on to, so what? Does that mean he should be imprisoned for taking part in a protest if that is all he did? If he is an Irish citizen, he is entitled to support from the consulate and for them to try and get him out, as anyone would be.
@Human, don’t get me wrong, I consider myself to be very much in the left, and socially very liberal, but I do think that democracy faces a huge challenge when people are using democratic rights as a tool to try to remove democracy and civil liberties (though some people here think that is silly).
@Dόn Pídgéόní I NEVER said he should or should not be in jail, I thought that was clear. My issue here is about people who dislike western political systems using the the same rights they don’t want for the country.
And I’m still unclear whether there is any evidence of that. By saying that the family supports sharia law, you imply that they should just suck it up and he should stay in jail.
@manolo I’m on your side…… Its these agenda driven guys like Dόn Pídgéόní that are the regressive liberals … The snake that eats itself.
At least you changed leftie to liberal human but I think you still have a lot of work to do. You can do it, practice makes perfect!
@Dόn Pídgéόní the only thing I imply is that if they, and I believe they do, advocate Sharia law, it is hypocritical of them to be standing at government buildings in protest.
As for your other forceful assumptions and voluntary misinterpretations, they are nothing else but that.
“I do think that democracy faces a huge challenge when people are using democratic rights as a tool to try to remove democracy and civil liberties”
So you are worried about democracy but you seem to have no problem with someone being locked up for 2 years and put on trial with 420 years to answer charges that include ‘being in a Mosque’ which carry the death penalty. No, you’re definitely a champion of democracy.
Forceful assumptions and voluntary misinterpretations are exactly what you are doing!
@MoyestWithExcitement what’s with these attacks? You say I “seem to have no problem with someone being locked up for 2 years”. I never said that. I said that I don’t have enough reliable information to take a public position on the incarceration and to defend this position in a debate.
If you have good and reliable information about the arrest and what is going on in the background, please share it. I will consider it. In the meantime, the articles in the press that I read so far, the comments of the Halawa sisters and all these mad dog barking comments are just noise as far as I am concerned.
“Does the fact that the sisters advocate for Sharia law make my comment relevant?”
So you don’t have enough facts about his incarceration but apparently you have enough “facts” to make this statement. Are you just taking the pish here? This is a wind up, right?
@MoyestWithExcitement what’s the part you don’t get, I can explain slowly again if it helps.
So you’re not on a windup? Jayzus.
Amazing, innit?
I’d be all for Shakira Law.
Lucky that my breasts are small and humble
So you don’t confuse them with mountains
Yes, because trials are so much quicker when hips don’t lie.
Honesty is a vital component of the justice system.
I dream of a day when Ireland’s hips don’t lie.
How can they afford to protest outside the Dail everyday? Are they in receipt of the dole? And if so isn’t a provision of that, that you must be available for work at all times?
As for their brother; he was in his country (his words, recorded on video) at a pro Muslim Brotherhood protest. Any one duped into supporting him should look up what the Muslim Brotherhood stands for.
In fairness, the MB were the elected government, elected islamists or returning to a decade-long military dictatorship were the options, let’s not pretend it was a sunny choice either way – but one was democratic.
But if this democratically elected government managed to introduce Sharia Law above the law of the country, that would be for life (I am looking for a precedent of Sharia Law being replaced). The point at which the law and the constitution are about to be binned is a national crisis point in my view.
At that stage democracy was gone in Egypt either way.
I’m reminded of the “Free the Columbia Three” pinko media frenzy when some Provo fellow-travellers on false passports were picked up by the Columbian authorities on a fraternal visit to their narcoterrorist friends in FARC. This was about 10 years ago. Just like then, there are two sides to every story. Not that the Irish media are interested in any analysis of why “Irish teenager” Ibraham Halawa was spending his laethanta saoire in Egypt.
He was protesting a military dictatorship in his dad’s home country. Do you have a problem with that?
And when the party he supported (and his Dad is head of in Ireland) got in they pretty much instituted a dictatorship.
You mean the party that won a free election? Those guys? Ok.
It’s only democracy when the right party wins
“We are for democracy, except when it comes to people we don’t like and Muslims”
Yeah those guys.
“But the event that may have sealed his fate came a month later, in November 2012. Seeking to fast-track a controversial, Islamist-slanted constitution, Morsi awarded himself total executive control, allowing himself to bypass judicial procedures to ensure the text was put to a public vote without further debate.” –
Quote from the Guardian 01/07/15
Here’s some more info –
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/nov/23/protests-egypt-presidential-decree
You can read up on any of this stuff yourself, you know, if you wanted to.
Sure, Muslims don’t want democracy, they want sharia law. All of them, everywhere.
AND THEY AREN’T A RACE SO I CAN’T BE RACIST!
If democracy is protected by the constitution, the removal of a government that wants to destroy democracy is the right action.
You don’t even know they want the removal of the government Manolo, you’re just making stuff up based on, as you admit, your own bias. Why are you biased?
*shakes head*
“If democracy is protected by the constitution, the removal of a government that wants to destroy democracy is the right action.”
You actually haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about here, do you.
Read this: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/20137319828176718.html
It states that “liberal opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said the “2011 revolution was re-launched” and that the roadmap meets the demand of the protesters. Egypt’s leading Muslim and Christian clerics also backed the army-sponsored roadmap.” and lists them in detail. Do you know who didn’t support that roadmap? Yes, the Muslim Brotherhood.
I detest military coups, with a single exception: if they occur to genuinely protect democracy and the constitution of the country.
“I detest military coups, with a single exception: if they occur to genuinely protect democracy and the constitution of the country.”
The current military regime aren’t protecting democracy. They’re arguably worse than the last guys. You’d know that if you had the faintest clue what you were talking about. All this is to you is ‘Muslims are bad’. You’ll work out how later, all you know is this guy is a Muslim so he must, somehow, be bad.
That’s great, but I don’t know that he or the family supports anything other than you keep saying he does. And, we are back at the beginning….
Well, it wasn’t the best of ideas, was it now?
If only someone said that to Pearce. Should we’d all still be happy little Brits.
Yeah, with socialised medicine, great roads, properly-resourced police force…and all for the cost of a photo of Brenda on the wall of every public office. Hate that. I, for one, welcome our old Britannic overlords.
If you parse my comment you’ll see that my problem is with the usual Irish soft-left media emotive commentary on this chaps predicament, rather than any analysis of the real issues (as in, Who is he?, Why is he there?, What is he about? etc, etc). My “problem” is not with this particular “Irish Teenager”.
So you’re complaining about emotive commentary and then you put “Irish teenager” in inverted commas. Holy Jayzus, is that stupid.
It is called irony. A grown-up will explain it to you.
LOL! Go on then “adult”. Explain what ironic statement you were making there when you complained about an emotive narrative from the Irish media before you called into question his Irishness.
IF they only had a bit of the oul soda bread and a few strapping bean an tis sure they’d be alright
Lets not forget about Eanna O’Cochlain who is in bad health in a Phillipines prison for the last 2 years. He refused to pay a bribe of €10,000 and has remained in prison ever since in what looks like very dubious circumstances
https://www.change.org/p/please-sign-this-petition-to-help-free-irish-citizen-eanna-o-cochlain-an-innocent-man-jailed-abroad-for-a-crime-he-did-not-commit
He’s a Muslim Brotherhood activist. He supported Morsi who issued decrees after election pretty much making himself a de-facto dictator and set about redrafting the constitution to enshrine islamic law.
Wouldn’t exactly be clamoring for this guys return.
Can’t understand why people don’t just look at facts. He purposely went to a country just to break the law. Then wants a get of jail free card by saying but I’m Irish. Leave him there to rot.
Regardless of what he did or didnt do the poor lad did not get a fair trial which any citizen is entitled to. Missing the point lads, even Chelsea would be more on target than you lot are at the moment…
+1
‘he purposely went to another country just to break the law’.
proof? there hasn’t been a trial, so surely he’s entitled to be presumed innocent unless proven otherwise? the issue here is keeping this lad on remand without any real reason to do so. if he’s guilty then fine but at least they should push for a trial, or if possible extradition back home.
He is in his home, otherwise what your saying is a foreign citizen went to a country to protest in illegal protest and now he should be treated by Irish law but not the country he went to.
if he holds an irish passport then he’s entitled to a degree of protection from the state. as do you.
‘he’s in his home’? wtf was he doing in school over here so? here’s a letter from his teacher:
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/ibrahim-halawa-s-teacher-writes-1.2161451
Proof your joking right? Read many of the comments above
I’m not sure you’re very good at reading, Anom. He’s asking *you* for proof of *your* statement that Halawa “he purposely went to another country just to break the law”.
He protested In banned protests.
FFS….
This guy is being held captive in Leinster House?
The general level of commentary in this thread is beneath the usual standard of gibberish on here