Egypt rejects european parliament calls for Halawa release

Egypt has categorically rejected a resolution by the European Parliament that calls for an immediate and unconditional release of Egyptian-Irish prisoner Ibrahim Hussein Halawa.

The resolution constitutes an unacceptable violation of the independent judicial system in Egypt, the Foreign Ministry here said in a statement on Friday.

Halawa has been held for more than two years in connection with riot incidents that followed the crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood protest camps in Cairo in August 2013.

He and 493 other defendants are accused of setting ablaze a number of public facilities and property in the area of Ramsis and outside the Azbakia police station and the Fatah Mosque.

The EP resolution turns a blind eye to court verdicts, whether against or in favor of Halawa, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said, stressing that the case is still being probed in court.

Egypt rejects the EP dictation, which cannot possibly be accepted by a sovereign country, the spokesman said.

He pointed to a number of false claims included in the EP resolution, such as a possible death sentence against Halawa. A minor 17-year-old Halawa had been arrested during the riot incidents, the spokesman said, stressing that under Egyptian law he will not possibly receive any death terms.

The EP resolution also assumes that Halawa was tortured, which, according to the spokesman, is also a baseless claim. Many Irish officials and staff of the embassy in Cairo have visited Halawa since his arrest to make sure of that, the spokesman noted.

The spokesman regretted and was surprised by such a resolution from the EP, which comes at time when the EU is emphasizing its partnership with Egypt.

He urged the EP to reconsider its handling of such issues in the future and to verify any information it receives, especially in this critical stage of Egypt's history.

Sources: MENA