On January 24th, Ibrahim Halawa and his lawyer, Darragh Mackin, will be visiting DU Amnesty and Trinity Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) to share their story of Halawa’s imprisonment and release.
Halawa, 21-year-old from Firhouse, made international headlines after being imprisoned in Egypt. In August 2013, 17-year-old Halawa was detained by the Egyptian security forces after he and three of his sisters were caught up in a siege at a mosque in Cairo in August 2013.
Halawa’s sisters were allowed to return home after three months, but were forced to leave their brother alone in Egyptian prison. Halawa spent more than four years of his life in prison in Egypt, facing a mass trial with hundreds of others under threat of the death penalty.
On 20 October 2017, Halawa was acquitted of the charges against him, released and allowed to return home to Ireland. Before his release, Halawa’s trial had been delayed 28 times.
In an op-ed for The University Times last year, following his release, Halawa wrote: “Be grateful for everything you have, as it’s better than not having anything. Be grateful for a pillow. Be grateful for water. Be grateful for freedom. Life can get tough and if it does, always remember: just one more day”.
In the four years that Halawa was imprisoned, Mackin was the only lawyer to visit prison. Mackin is an associate with KRW Law in Belfast and specialises in human rights. Mackin has worked on a number of high-profile human rights cases in addition to representing Halawa.
He also represents the “Hooded Men” – a group that has taken action against the UK government for allegedly torturing them during the Troubles.
The talk will take place in the Maxwell Theatre at 3pm next Wednesday.
