Government must fight for Irishman - Incarceration of Ibrahim Halawa

Irishman Ibrahim Halawa has had his trial postponed for the 16th time in Egypt. In August 2013, the now 20-year-old student was arrested in a Cairo mosque during demonstrations against the ousting of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.

His continued detention without trial is, first and foremost, intolerable for him and his family. But it is also intolerable for Ireland and for all Irish citizens, who must wonder what protections or government assistance any of us can rely on when travelling to unstable countries, particularly ones that defy international norms of behaviour.

For the past three years, the Government has patiently sought to exert pressure on the authorities in Egypt to have him returned to Ireland, the country of his birth and his citizenship.