It’s been two years since Ibrahim Halawa was arrested in a Cairo mosque following his alleged participation at a protest against the removal of Egypt’s then president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Halawa, who was aged 17 at the time of his arrest, has been detained in a Cairo prison ever since, without trial or clear charges. While concerted efforts to get him out on bail have proven abortive, the continued postponement of his trial has continued to worry both family, supporters and human rights activists.

“We desperately need clarity surrounding the severity of the charges Ibrahim is facing and we need an unequivocal reason as to why bail has been refused so many times,” said Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, who together with solicitor Darragh Mackin recently visited Halawa in prison.

At a recent conference in the capital following their visit, Boylan said that Halawa’s health was failing and that “he needs to see a specialist doctor as a matter of urgency”. She added that the young man is convinced the ongoing campaign for his release is vital to guaranteeing his safety in the Egyptian prison system.

Boylan also urged the Taoiseach not to waste any further time in appointing an Irish ambassador to Egypt – one who would give “much support” to cases like that of Halawa.

Metro Éireann, too, calls on the Government, the European Union and the international community to put more pressure on the Egyptian authorities to release Halawa. The two years he has already spent in detention are more than enough punishment for his alleged role in a ‘banned’ protest near the Fateh mosque. His continued imprisonment makes a sham of the post-Morsi Egyptian regime.