Exclusive: Ibrahim Halawa thanks legal team in Irish Legal News interview

Since being restored to his freedom and returned to Ireland after four years in pre-trial detention in Egypt, Ibrahim Halawa has started to speak publicly about his experience.

On Friday 3 November, he laid out a frank and comprehensive account to a national audience on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show.

Last night, he addressed DCU students during Mental Health Week about his experiences in prison and how it feels to regain the liberty of which he was deprived when he was just seventeen years old.

Irish Legal News caught up with Mr Halawa after the event for a quick-fire interview.

How are you settling in after finally coming home to Ireland after such a long ordeal?

Well, getting home is exciting. It’s more exciting than life in prison. Although, now that I’m out of prison, it’s actually harder, you know – it’s scary, it’s not as easy as I thought it would be. It is exciting, and it’s a great feeling of relief to finally be home, free, and free of oppression. But it’s still been hard.

I’ve left behind all my cellmates who I spent 24 hours every single day with – when you think about it, I’ve spent more time with them than even my family; you never spend 24 hours a day with your family. And so they became like a family to me, and a lot of them are innocent, I know that. When you spend 24 hours day for four years with someone, they will tell you all their secrets, after a while you know everything about them, and I know that many, many of the men I was in with are entirely innocent.

You’ve been speaking publicly about your experiences throughout this whole ordeal, you obviously did RTÉ’s Late Late Show earlier this month. If there’s one message you’d like to get across to your audiences, what would that be?

“Being lost is the psychological problem – both in jail and outside”

In my speech I spoke about how at first I was faced with this mental struggle. It was so hard on me. And there is still a bit of mental struggle going on. But the main key point that I really want to get across is – find yourself within yourself. Know who you are, know what you want. Seek help in any way you feel comfortable with; don’t let anyone tell you in what way you should seek help. Whatever you feel happy with, what you feel comfortable with, that’s the right help for you. Seek it out, and you will do well, because once you find yourself you’ll know what to do.

Being lost is the psychological problem – both in jail and outside – and that’s why we always feel like we don’t know where we are or what we need to do. That comes down to not really knowing who you are or what you want. So: find yourself, find what you want to do, and do it.

Irish Legal News closely covered your case to its conclusion and supported the efforts of your solicitor, Darragh Mackin of KRW Law. How’s your relationship with Darragh?

“My whole legal team were just fantastic … Darragh in particular”

My whole legal team were just fantastic; but I want to talk about Darragh in particular. Darragh is an amazing guy. I recommend him to anyone. He’s been a lot of help, he supported me throughout the hardest of times. He supported my family throughout the hardest of times.

No matter how many times I call him a day I could never thank him enough, because he done over and above what you could possibly expect from your lawyer. He’s done so much for me and I could never return the favour. He’s a legend!

I can see your little nephew here is wanting your attention - we’d hate to keep you from your family any further. And the match kicks off in twenty minutes, so you’ll be wanting to catch that.

Thank you very much for your time, Ibrahim, and on behalf of Irish Legal News, welcome home to Ireland.

Not at all, thanks for chatting. It’s good to be back.

Kevin Burns, Irish Legal News