Egyptian-Irish detainee: I want to be buried in Ireland

An Egyptian-Irish man currently detained in Egypt has written a touching letter to his family in which he begs to be buried in Ireland if he dies in prison.

“One final wish, I beg from you, if I die away from you take me back from them to be buried in your soil to feel your goodbye tears,” Halawa writes in the letter.

Ibrahim Halawa, born and raised in Dublin, was just 17 when he was detained in Cairo three years ago during a demonstration in Rabaa. He was protesting against the violent break-up of protestors against the ousting of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by a military coup.

The Rabaa Massacre resulted in the killings of 1,000 Muslim Brotherhood supporters after security forces were given orders to openly fire at demonstrators.

“Dear Ireland…I have been taken away from you for so long. But I miss you dearly. It’s really out of my hands…I just can’t understand why they have kidnapped me away from you”

“Ireland, I really need to complain to you about how one human enjoys torturing another human, the continued injustice, the oppression and the killing of the innocent,” Halawa wrote.

Like many thousands of political prisoners currently languishing in Egyptian prisons, Halawa’s pre-trial detention has been renewed 16 times while he faces charges of terrorism along with over 400 defendants which will lead to death if convicted.

This is a nod to the torture Halawa has received himself according to his sister Somaia Halawa, who was also detained for a short period.

“Ibrahim’s ongoing detention is an outrageous violation of this young Irish citizen’s rights,” Executive Director of Amnesty International, Colm O’Gorman, said.

“Amnesty International remains gravely concerned for his physical and mental wellbeing. We urge the Irish Government to continue to use every diplomatic and political mechanism to secure his release.”

However, all attempts to pressure Egyptian authorities to release him have failed including Halawa’s hunger strike which caused the United Nations to intervene on his behalf. Ireland has also tried to intervene but with little influence. After Halawa’s trial was adjourned last month, Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan reiterated the country’s priority to see his swift return to Ireland soon.

“Our understanding is that the trial has been adjourned until 13 December as a number of the defendants were not present in the court. This is linked to heightened security concerns in Cairo, following planned protests in recent days,” Flanagan explained.

Flanagan further explained how he was in contact with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to hasten the application for Ibrahim’s immediate release.