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| Cairo forces detain siblings from Ireland after raid on al-Fath mosque | Cairo forces detain siblings from Ireland after raid on al-Fath mosque |
| (21 days later) | |
| When Egypt's security forces stormed the besieged al-Fath mosque in central Cairo almost two weeks ago among those arrested were four siblings with joint Irish-Egyptian nationality – three women aged 21 to 28, and their brother, 17. | When Egypt's security forces stormed the besieged al-Fath mosque in central Cairo almost two weeks ago among those arrested were four siblings with joint Irish-Egyptian nationality – three women aged 21 to 28, and their brother, 17. |
| The siblings are still in detention without access to a lawyer but have become the focus of an intense diplomatic tussle as the Irish government seeks their release. | The siblings are still in detention without access to a lawyer but have become the focus of an intense diplomatic tussle as the Irish government seeks their release. |
| The story of the Halawa siblings offers a bleak insight into the fate of hundreds of others, the majority of whom are Egyptian, who have been scooped up in the country's post-coup security crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters. | The story of the Halawa siblings offers a bleak insight into the fate of hundreds of others, the majority of whom are Egyptian, who have been scooped up in the country's post-coup security crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters. |
| The Halawa siblings took part in the weeks' long sit-in at Ramses Square to protest against the ousting of Mohamed Morsi on 3 July. The sit-in was one of two encampments broken up by security forces with the loss of more than 600 lives. | The Halawa siblings took part in the weeks' long sit-in at Ramses Square to protest against the ousting of Mohamed Morsi on 3 July. The sit-in was one of two encampments broken up by security forces with the loss of more than 600 lives. |
| Fearing for their safety during the assault, the siblings sought refuge in the nearby al-Fath mosque, which was then surrounded by security forces and an angry mob. | Fearing for their safety during the assault, the siblings sought refuge in the nearby al-Fath mosque, which was then surrounded by security forces and an angry mob. |
| Omaima, 21 and her sister Soumaya, 28, who were both doing media studies at college in Dublin, gave a voice to the hundreds trapped inside the mosque at Ramses Square. | Omaima, 21 and her sister Soumaya, 28, who were both doing media studies at college in Dublin, gave a voice to the hundreds trapped inside the mosque at Ramses Square. |
| Interviewed on Al Jazeera English TV inside the mosque they spoke of their fear of the police and of the mob outside, some of whom had suggested to western journalists covering the siege that they wanted to kill the girls. | Interviewed on Al Jazeera English TV inside the mosque they spoke of their fear of the police and of the mob outside, some of whom had suggested to western journalists covering the siege that they wanted to kill the girls. |
| Now they are trapped again, along with their sister, Fatima, and brother, Ibrahim, who was injured in the hand during the storming of the mosque. | Now they are trapped again, along with their sister, Fatima, and brother, Ibrahim, who was injured in the hand during the storming of the mosque. |
| They face accusations that they were part of an armed attack on a Cairo police station and had joined in the burning of an office building, all charges they and their family vehemently deny. | They face accusations that they were part of an armed attack on a Cairo police station and had joined in the burning of an office building, all charges they and their family vehemently deny. |
| The four could have fallen foul of recent efforts by the country's new military-backed government to portray the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters as a secretive international network of terrorists. | The four could have fallen foul of recent efforts by the country's new military-backed government to portray the Muslim Brotherhood and its supporters as a secretive international network of terrorists. |
| The Halawas were not the only foreigners detained. Others swept up during the crackdown include two Canadians, John Greyson, a filmmaker, and Tarek Loubani, a doctor, both of whom were arrested by Egyptian police while passing through Cairo on their way to Gaza. | The Halawas were not the only foreigners detained. Others swept up during the crackdown include two Canadians, John Greyson, a filmmaker, and Tarek Loubani, a doctor, both of whom were arrested by Egyptian police while passing through Cairo on their way to Gaza. |
| Heba Zakaria, a journalist with the Anadolu agency, was also inside the mosque and arrested with the Halawas but then released along with 32 others after mediation by religious figures. "At 2am they said we were going to be released. There was an air-conditioned coach. When were got to it we realised that [the Halawas] weren't with us." | Heba Zakaria, a journalist with the Anadolu agency, was also inside the mosque and arrested with the Halawas but then released along with 32 others after mediation by religious figures. "At 2am they said we were going to be released. There was an air-conditioned coach. When were got to it we realised that [the Halawas] weren't with us." |
| The three sisters are being held in Qanatir prison, and Ibrahim is at Salam security camp, said their mother, Amina, who added that she had seen them all just once since their arrest. | The three sisters are being held in Qanatir prison, and Ibrahim is at Salam security camp, said their mother, Amina, who added that she had seen them all just once since their arrest. |
| "I saw them for 40 minutes, and Ibrahim the day before for 10 minutes. They have still not allowed them to see a lawyer even though they've been interrogated. | "I saw them for 40 minutes, and Ibrahim the day before for 10 minutes. They have still not allowed them to see a lawyer even though they've been interrogated. |
| "Fatima told me that when they accused her of attacking Abzakia police station with weapons she said, 'can you tell me where this police station is because I don't know it?'," she said. | "Fatima told me that when they accused her of attacking Abzakia police station with weapons she said, 'can you tell me where this police station is because I don't know it?'," she said. |
| Khadija, another daughter of Amina, accompanied her mother on the prison visit. "It was hard not to cry," Khadija said. "We've been in Ireland 15 years. We've never been in trouble. There's never been a complaint or any reason to go to a police station. We come to Egypt every year on holiday. My sisters aren't very political. Mainly they wanted to go shopping. But they had been media studies' students. They wanted to go and show that the people at the sit-ins were peaceful." | Khadija, another daughter of Amina, accompanied her mother on the prison visit. "It was hard not to cry," Khadija said. "We've been in Ireland 15 years. We've never been in trouble. There's never been a complaint or any reason to go to a police station. We come to Egypt every year on holiday. My sisters aren't very political. Mainly they wanted to go shopping. But they had been media studies' students. They wanted to go and show that the people at the sit-ins were peaceful." |
| The Halawas' father, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, imam of the Clonskeagh mosque in Dublin, which is reportedly sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, called on the Irish government to increase the pressure on the Egyptian authorities to free his four children. | The Halawas' father, Sheikh Hussein Halawa, imam of the Clonskeagh mosque in Dublin, which is reportedly sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood, called on the Irish government to increase the pressure on the Egyptian authorities to free his four children. |
| He said: "Ibrahim should have been in Dublin applying to study engineering at university. This should have been a critical week for him and my daughters. The sooner the government here can get him and them freed the better." | He said: "Ibrahim should have been in Dublin applying to study engineering at university. This should have been a critical week for him and my daughters. The sooner the government here can get him and them freed the better." |
| He added he was not be sure if he would be safe if he returned to Cairo to try to visit his children. "I could end up where they are now," he said. | He added he was not be sure if he would be safe if he returned to Cairo to try to visit his children. "I could end up where they are now," he said. |
| The Irish foreign affairs department said its staff at Ireland's Cairo embassy were still liaising with the Egyptian authorities over the detention of the Halawa children. | The Irish foreign affairs department said its staff at Ireland's Cairo embassy were still liaising with the Egyptian authorities over the detention of the Halawa children. |
| Joe Costello, minister at the department, said: "Our primary concern has always been for the welfare of the four siblings, and it's good that we've managed to establish access to them. While this information will come as a relief to their family obviously they are still in detention, and unfortunately the situation in relation to legal proceedings against them is unclear at present." | Joe Costello, minister at the department, said: "Our primary concern has always been for the welfare of the four siblings, and it's good that we've managed to establish access to them. While this information will come as a relief to their family obviously they are still in detention, and unfortunately the situation in relation to legal proceedings against them is unclear at present." |
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