Egypt: Verdict in Irish man’s trial delayed

The trial of Irish-Egyptian Ibrahim Halawa was postponed once again yesterday, however Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has promised to return him to Ireland as soon as the court case concludes.

The verdict in the trial was due to be delivered yesterday however it was announced that it would not be given until 18 September.

The family of the 21-year-old Irish man, who has been detained for four years, were not allowed in the courtroom and found out about the delay via state television.

During a lengthy telephone call to air his disappointment at the delay in the trial, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was assured Halawa will be allowed to return to Ireland once his case has reached a conclusion in Egypt.

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

Al-Sisi told him that he would not interfere in judicial affairs but said the issue could be resolved once a verdict had been handed down.

Halawa was arrested in August 2013 along with hundreds of others in Cairo during a mass demonstration against the military ousting of Egypt’s first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi.