Howlin welcomes Halawa acquittal

Labour Party leader and spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Brendan Howlin TD, has welcomed news of the acquittal of Ibrahim Halawa and his sisters in an Egyptian court.

Mr. Halawa has been in prison in Cairo for the past four years after being arrested during protests over the ousting of former president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Deputy Howlin said:

“I am delighted to hear news from Cairo today that Ibrahim Halawa and his sisters have been acquitted of all charges against them.

“Ibrahim was first arrested as a 17-year old, and has been spent the past four years in prison while his trial was postponed more than 20 times.

“Having travelled with an Oireachtas delegation as part of Irish efforts to secure his release at the start of this year, I can only imagine the relief and joy Ibrahim must be feeling today at this verdict.

“I am also really pleased for Ibrahim’s family, who have been fighting tirelessly on his behalf since 2013, and I’m sure they are looking forward to what we hope is a speedy homecoming.”