Latest: Taoiseach delighted at Ibrahim Halawa’s release from prison (Irish Examiner)

“Ibrahim is free and will soon be safely home with his family in Dublin. It is thanks to the determined work of his lawyers and campaigning of his family, friends and Amnesty activists that his horrific ordeal has finally come to an end. Ibrahim should never have had to endure this horrendous experience.

He has lost four years of his young life and nothing can ever excuse that injustice. Thankfully, his nightmare is finally over and he can now begin to move on with his life. Throughout the four years of his detention, Ibrahim’s family never gave up. They campaigned relentlessly with determination and energy.

I am proud and privileged to have worked alongside them, particularly his sisters who are incredible, tenacious women who campaigned with enormous courage. Their love and concern for Ibrahim inspired all who worked for his release.”

Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland

Previously: Ibrahim Halawa on Broadsheet

Related posts:

Meanwhile, In Cairo Meanwhile, In The Dáil ‘One Day Is Too Much, Four Years Is Torture’ ‘It’s Not Known When This Case Will Ever End’

51 thoughts on “Free At Last”

  1. dav

    Anytime someone spots out the same rubbish of how, diplomatically, Ireland punches above its weight, remind them of this case…

      1. edalicious

        He strikes me as the type of guy who has a list of names written down somewhere that he adds to now and then.

    2. dylad

      Some pungent troll wee leakage spilled over from the journal.ie onto your comments section, can you mop it up please broadsheet?

  3. phil

    OMG, just have a look over on thejournal comments , I fear some of those posters far more than what they claim to fear …

    2. dav

      since the journal removed it’s “red thumbs” on the comments section the right-wing racists and bigots have had free reign..

    5. mildred st. meadowlark

      It’s become unpleasant reading over there. I read the news stories and skip the comments altogether. Better for the head. That kind of toxic rhetoric is no good for anyone.

      1. Birdie

        It’s awful Mildred. I gave up reading it months ago.

        I also guest wrote a piece for their “other voices” section, a really foolish move on my part as I should of known better. Anyhow the comments were vile, thankfully the editor removed the article. The sad truth is, commercially the comments are a cash cow for the journal.

  7. missred

    So glad he’s free, the poor guy looks like he’s aged about 12 years in four from the stress. I fear for him getting abuse back in his own country, sadly.

  8. ahjayzis

    Brilliant news. I hope he gets all the help he needs to overcome this horror.

    Fáilte abhaile, Ibrahim!

  9. Anomanomanom

    The whole family are not what I’d class as nice people, im trying to be polite. Sure the sister Omaima Halawa is expecting a baby with her husband which is fine, expect he hasn’t been allowed join his wife in Ireland and their now taking a case against the state. No doubt using the fact their child will be “irish” and its some how against the child’s right not have a his father here.

      1. Anomanomanom

        Its fantastic being me, great job, great family, great friends. Oh and great reply, you really gave a thoughtful​ reply. Does hurt im right.

        1. Daisy Chainsaw

          Are some of those “great friends” brown people? If you know brown people you can’t be a racist, right?

          2. Anomanomanom

            Well thats a strange comment. I think of people just as friends not as my white,brown,black friends.

          3. Vote Rep #1

            Hold on, are we not allowed to say anything negative about members of him family without being accused of racism? His father is the General Secretary of the European Council for Fatwa and Research which has opinions on gays which would make the likes of youth defence blush yet to mention that makes one a racist?

          4. Milo

            Many many brown people have no problem with racism, bigotry, religious hatred, xenophobia, mysogyny and homophobia. Its why some of the Middle eastern countries are among the saddest places on earth right now. When we see so many being persecuted, raped, killed and forced out of their homes for being the wrong colour, creed or ethnic background, it really makes you hope that some other countries would take racism as seriously as the Irish.

          5. jimi

            “yet to mention that makes one a racist?”

            Except Anom didn’t say that Vote Rep, what he did was comment on Ibrahims sisters immigration case. One could almost, though i definately wouldn’t, insinuate that the original poster brought up the immigration case in order to make the sister and brother look like foreigners (and not even the good, european type of foreigner no less) trying to get around immigration law, rather than what they are, which is an Irish Citizen and her child trying to get the Irish Government to allow them to legitimately reunite her family. Though obviously I wouldn’t think so little of Anom.

          6. Anomanomanom

            But that’s not what happened. They rejected him 2 years ago. Now she’s pregnant and it’ll be used to try get him in. He’s been living in Egypt which means she got pregnant over there. This is not an irish women meeting someone, having a baby and just coming home to live in Ireland. Thats not what happened

          7. realPolithicks

            “Hold on, are we not allowed to say anything negative about members of him family without being accused of racism? ”

            You can say whatever you want, but if people interpret your comments as racist then they are allowed to say that too.

        2. Daisy Chainsaw

          And yet Katherine Zappone has been welcomed into the Halawa home and embraced the family to celebrate Ibrahim’s return.

          No attempt to throw her off a building!

  12. $hifty

    The irony being that, if his father and his cohorts had their way, people like Varadkar would be thrown from rooftops.

    1. ahjayzis

      The irony being we like to think Ireland and the Irish people have always stood against the internment without trial of Irish citizens by foreign governments.

      1. Milo

        Yay for Colm O Gorman who can deal with all the contradictions of supporting equality for women, rights for the gay community and the Muslim Brotherhood. His contradictions must be eased but the tons of money he gets for compromising everyone and the Amnesty brand.

        1. Alastair

          Oh dear. That’s some primo guff. Amnesty has no contradiction in supporting civil rights, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, and the institute of democratically elected governance. The government in Egypt ousted by the military coup was less repressive than the current bunch.

  14. rotide

    Delighted for him that he’s out and coming home.

    Slightly less delighted that whenever this story comes up there’s always a whiff of it all somehow being racist Ireland’s fault and that really, the nasty white men in government and the nasty journal commenters are to blame

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      That’s your own paranoia talking to you there, rotide. It’s not reality. Now, why would someone constantly feel guilt every time there’s a mention of racism? That’s a toughie.

      1. rotide

        Well it’s probably a lot to do with trolls like you accusing everyone and their mothers of racism at the drop of a hat.

        As for the guilt part, well you just invented that.

  16. Demos

    I can’t imagine he’s seen much news inside that prison but I think he’ll be delighted by all the progress since he
    went on his holiday.

    1. Equal marriage in Ireland.
    2. The new Irish leader is gay.
    3. Egypt is stable and terror attacks on minority’s have almost stopped.
    4. The military junta ruling Egypt has received international recognition and military aid is once more
    flowing from their great friends in the USA.
    5. Not to mention the thrills of Brexit and the Trump administration.

    Enjoy the future young man.

    1. Alastair

      Sectarian attacks in Egypt are higher now than prior to the coup in 2014. There was a national state of emergency in the country for three months this summer, following the terrible May Copt murders.

  19. Lilly

    This case is a real eye opener and should give everyone pause for thought before visiting Egypt. Notwithstanding the Muslim Brotherhood connection, he was only 17 for heaven’s sake. Few people of that age have fully emerged from parental brainwashing. He paid a cruel price for his peaceful protest.

Comments are closed.

Broadsheet.ie