Ibrahim trial is delayed for the 22nd time
THE long-awaited trial of Irishman Ibrahim Halawa has been delayed for the 22nd time. The 21-year-old Dubliner has been languishing in an Egyptian prison cell for almost four years. He was arrested aged 17 during a siege at the Al-fath mosque in Cairo in 2013, during the so-called Arab Spring. Seven witnesses gave evidence at the trial yesterday before the case was adjourned for two weeks. Mr Halawa has been accused, along with more than 400 others, of inciting violence, riot and sabotage. Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said there was some indication the trial was “progressing”. He added: “The Irish Embassy in Cairo has been closely monitoring this trial since it began. “The relatively short adjournment period and the progress in recent hearings in terms of witness testimony are indications of momentum in the trial process, which is to be welcomed after a very difficult and frustrating period of over three years. “My expectation now is the trial will move towards a conclusion.”