The trial in Cairo of an Irish teenager Ibrahim Halawa and 493 other defendants was postponed Tuesday, with the next session to be held on 19 December. The 19-year-old is one of several hundred people facing charges of murder and attempted murder in relation to an August 2013 incident at the Al-Fateh Mosque in Cairo's Ramses area. Halawa was arrested in the area of the mosque during protests in support of former president Mohamed Morsi that security forces were attempting to suppress. According to the government, there was an "exchange of fire" between the security forces and protesters located in the outer areas of the mosque, resulting in the deaths of at least 97 people. Halawa was detained along with 493 other defendants, who now face a mass-trial on charges of murder and attempted murder for their alleged role in violence at the protest. A motion calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Halawa is due to go before the European Parliament on Thursday, according to Irish news agency RTE. The trial has been repeatedly postponed. If convicted, Halawa could receive the death penalty. Since his arrest, he has been held in pre-trial detention, a controversial process in the Egyptian legal system. In August 2015, Halawa had spent two years in detention, which is the pre-trial detention limit. In June, the Irish foreign ministry said it seeks to acquire a presidential pardon for Halawa when the trial ends, as the Irish government "cannot interfere in the Egyptian legal system" as stated by the Irish Prime Minister. Amnesty International has designated Halawa a "prisoner of conscience" and called for his release. It also pointed out that the prosecutor has failed to provide evidence incriminating him.
