Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen who has been incarcerated in Egypt since he was 17 years old, is now being kept alive by glucose injections.
Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has drawn attention to Halawa’s plight once more — appealing for “very direction intervention” from the Irish government in order to save Halawa’s life. Boylan has said that the 21-year-old’s “spirit is finally broken” and his condition has deteriorated rapidly” according to RTÉ. He is now confined to a wheelchair.
Boyland has previously visited Halawa, and expressed her deep concern over his circumstances.
Halawa has been on hunger strike in protest over the three-and-a-half year delay of his trial. His trial has been adjourned a total of 19 times since he was originally arrested.
Halawa, who is originally from Firhouse in South Dublin, has repeatedly appealed for the assistance of the Irish government. Just three months ago, he wrote this letter to express sorrow over his circumstances:
Dear Ireland
I really don’t know what to say, I have been taken away from you for so long. But I miss you dearly. It’s really out of my hands. I can’t understand, I just can’t understand why they have kidnapped me away from you. So young I was while you were teaching me how to live, laugh, love and care. But they have taken me away before you had the time to teach me how to struggle, how to deal with evil and hatred.
When I was young I used to run to you whenever I was sad and needed to complain about my humongous kiddie problems. The time my mum delayed getting me the latest Playstation game when all the other friends had it. Or when I wasn’t allowed stay out late at night And when I entered secondary school and exams were much tougher than before. Or that time I came to complain about my first teenage love.
Do you remember when I came running to you crying about the kid who screamed at me saying “go back to your country” and as usual you were crying rain and I was relieved because you were sharing my crying. But now that I’m growing up away from you and banned from talking to you, who am I supposed to complain to now that my kiddie worldly problems turned out to be just a drop in the ocean.
Ireland, I really need to complain to you about how one human enjoys torturing another human, the continues injustice, the oppression and the killing of the innocent. Ireland I’m lusting to walk on the sand of Bray beach, screaming freedom from the top of cliffs Moher, your rainforest trees to hug me tight and make me feel safe again and that kind bus driver on the daily commute, smiling at me even thought he does not know me.
Ireland I really want to complain to you about the people my parents voted for, to protect me in any land and under any sky, and have failed to bring me back to you. Now I understand that you were not crying this rains with me but you were crying because of what the world holds fore me one final wish, I beg from if I die away from you take me back from them to be buried in your soil and feel your goodbye tears.”
