The opening of the defence case in the trial of Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa in Egypt has begun.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has welcomed the start of the defence phase just two weeks short of the fourth anniversary of his arrest.
“Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa has finally had his opportunity to defend himself in court. It has taken a long time to get here, but I welcome the fact that we have finally arrived at the point where Mr Halawa and his lawyers have had an opportunity to give his side of the story and to put forward legal argument in his defence,” Mr Coveney said.
The prosecution case of Mr Halawa and other defendants was closed last month. Mr Halawa was arrested in Cairo when he was 17 in the aftermath of protests led by the Muslim Brotherhood. He is being tried along with 492 other prisoners .
He said it was his understanding that all of the defendants will be heard before any verdicts in the mass trial were announced. “ So it may still be some time before we know the outcome of this protracted trial process for Ibrahim Halawa,” he said.
“However, there is no doubt that the end of this ordeal now appears closer than it has done at any point during the past four years,” he said.
Irish Embassy officials were in court to watch the latest proceedings in a case that has been adjourned on 27 occasions. Mr Coveney said Mr Halawa “is represented by a very well-respected and highly-regarded Egyptian legal team and they have been able today to lay out their arguments against the charges that Mr Halawa faces.” He said the Irish ambassador to Egypt Damien Cole was in court to monitor proceedings.
Further hearings in the mass trial, involving defence arguments related to other defendants, are expected to take place over the coming days.
Mr Coveney said a further statement will be issued as and when there is any update on the status of Mr Halawa’s case. The Halawa family fears the group trial could take another year before lawyers for the multitudes of defendants are all heard.