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Updated at 11.10pm
FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER Alan Shatter made an unexpected appearance with the sisters of jailed Irish teenager Ibrahim Halawa on the Late Late Show tonight.
The Fine Gael TD was on the programme to help ramp-up pressure on Egyptian authorities for the Dubliner’s release – and he said that if the current situation continued indefinitely, Ireland should “question the nature” of diplomatic relations with the north African country.
Ibrahim Halawa has now been held at the Torsa prison on the outskirts of Cairo for 19 months.
He and his sisters Somaia, Fatima and Omaima were arrested at the al-Fateh mosque in August 2013 while attending a march against the ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi.
“I took an interest in this right from the beginning when I was still Minister for Justice,” Shatter said – after being introduced mid-way through the segment.
In cases of this type, the standard approach from the Department of Foreign Affairs would be “that we can’t interfere in the domestic legal arrangements of a friendly foreign country,” the former minister said.
However, he said, “Ibrahim’s now been in jail for over a year and a half. I’ve enormous concerns about the nature of any trial – should it take place”.
There’s been four occasions now when the trial was to take place and has been postponed. It’s now supposed to take place on the 29th of March.
“But the form of trial in Egypt will involve Ibrahim and 490 other people being effectively in a cage in a courtroom. And no individual’s human rights, civil rights can be protected – no lawyer can properly represent any person in circumstances where you have a mass trial.”
Diplomatic relations
“I think we need to say as strongly as we can, please release this young man,” Shatter said, when asked what could be done to increase pressure on the Egyptian government.
He said that while he was aware foreign affairs minister Charlie Flanagan was working hard for the teenager’s release, and that it was being “pushed hard” by the Government ”there are certain things you can say if you’re not a government minister”.
“We have very good diplomatic relations with Egypt,” Shatter observed, adding:
I think now this has reached a point where we should question the nature of our diplomatic relations, if this continues on indefinitely.
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Hope it’s nothing trivial
Reading all the wishes of ill-health of death by the bitter little people who read The Journal reminds me why I could never be a Leftist like them. Their hearts are dark with no room for charity or kindness.
@Brian Lenehan: you’re a tonic… Do you always come up with these one liner, ops two sentence, comical jestures so fast?
@Brian Lenehan: on a serious note, with all the ill health and pain he has forced on his own people and on the people of this earth, I think a twisted gut is the minimum this guy should be inflicted with. Let’s hope the cure is worse than the disease on this occasion. karma can be beautiful but can also have a weird sense of humour.
@Brian Lenehan: Those comments are humourous in intent. Considering his dangerous impact on the environment, ‘truth’, democracy, the rule of law and accountability, etc. it is difficult to empathise with him. You would have done better service to your argument if you hadn’t resorted to giving away your own agenda and limited perspective.
@David A. Murray: its about time the left started to express themselves directly in no uncertain terms just as the right do. this character shows f all respect for humanity. so, f all respect should be shown to him.
@Brian Lenehan: take up a new hobby this year- staying conversant with current affairs
@Brian Lenehan: this man has openly killed 1000s of people with his words and lack of action. He has openly threatened to imprison those he deems a threat to his rule. He’s a little strongman who rules with a fist. So anyone that disagrees with you is automatically a leftist? He has recently said those asking for his impeachment will be punished by his followers by executions. He has clamped down on the free press, freedom of speech, censorship, jailed those who disagree with him etc. And apparently he said something about a girl before he got elected saying that she was to ugly to get raped? He despises Democracy. he is a autocratic President playing the putin card. People like him don’t last long. So yeah I can understand peoples feelings.
@Brian Lenehan: you don’t have to be a specific side of the political spectrum to know that Bolsonaro and many others like him are devoid of any redeeming characteristics. People from the left and right used to think like this before the mid 2010′s when large swathes of each felt they had to blindly support the politicians they felt an affinity with as blindly as they would support their soccer team, regardless of their words, actions, or the consequences of both.
@Brian Lenehan: The absolute state of that comment
@alan scott: I am a fierce critic of Bolsonaro. He is a disgrace. But half of the things you mentioned are not true or complete exaggeration.
@CaicoNaFita: nothing about Bolsonaro is exaggerated.. He’s a scut and more.
@CaicoNaFita: il try and find the links and post them.
@Brian Lenehan: why are you guys always able to dish it out but not take it? Hahahaha
@Brian Lenehan:
Der Fürher loved dogs and was vegetarian. He was still however a b0//0x (1st Class with Oak Leaves). Whaddya gonna do…?
He’s been full of it and hot air for years…… I’m surprised its taken this long
@Aidan Leonard: its not so much hot air he is full of at the moment….
Fingers crossed.
A tool passing a stool
That will be the bile and hatred, i expect.
Wouldn’t be terrible if he caught covid whilst in hospital.
@Gerry Gleeson: if you are after a fresh bout of Covid, there is no better place to pick it up than a hospital
Classic case of head up ones own but..
Did somebody shove his policies up his hole?
I think his blocked.
@Ciarán O’Fearghail: Brain is blocked
@Ciarán O’Fearghail: you’re some rick with a large P.
He really is that full of absolute…..
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