Minister asked to comment on detention of Irish politician in Egypt

Belfast Telegraph

a day ago

People Before Profit-Solidarity TD (MP) Paul Murphy said he had been detained in Egypt while attempting to march to the Rafah crossing into Gaza as part of a large demonstration and effort to get aid into the region.
The opposition politician said his phone and passport were confiscated on Friday before being put on a bus to Cairo airport for deportation.
His partner, Councillor Jess Spear, appealed to Foreign Affairs Minister and deputy premier Simon Harris to make a public statement.
In a statement, she said: 'Paul was detained for hours this afternoon and forced onto a bus to be brought to Cairo airport for deportation. Paul's phone has been taken but he was allowed to call me briefly this evening.'
She added: 'It is a serious matter for a member of the Dail to be detained in Egypt and forcibly deported just because he was participating in a peaceful march to try and get humanitarian aid into starving people in Gaza.
'I appeal to the Tanaiste to make a public statement calling on the Egyptian authorities to release Paul and all the others detained and to let them continue their humanitarian mission to Gaza.'
Mr Murphy flew to Cairo on Thursday and set off towards Gaza on Friday.
Prior to his phone being taken, he said his passport had been confiscated by the Egyptian army along with the passports of other people in the group who were stopped.
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He said those being detained were being asked to board a bus and he believed they were going to be deported.
Mr Murphy told the PA news agency that several other Irish citizens were among those who have been stopped.
In a video, he said: 'It's looking worrying that the Egyptian authorities are going to act to prevent our peaceful march to Gaza, to demand that Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid, of food, of water, of medical supplies, is ended.
'I'm just asking people to redouble their efforts, to get on to your own government, in Ireland's case get on to (Foreign Affairs Minister) Simon Harris, your local TD, ask them to pressurise the Egyptian regime to allow us to engage in our peaceful march.'
He added: 'The world has watched a horrific genocide for the past 20 months. Since March, a total attempt of starvation.
'And that this is a peaceful march to demand that it be ended and demand that western governments stop their complicity.'
Mr Murphy then posted a livestream video on X in which Egyptian authorities could be seen forcibly dragging some of the participants away from a sit-down protest.
The livestream abruptly ended after his phone was taken, a People Before Profit spokesman said, adding that he had been put on a bus for Cairo airport.
A post by an administrator on his X account says: 'We urgently need Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris to intervene, demand he is freed, his passport and phone returned and the protesters are allowed to peacefully march to Gaza.'
On request for a comment, a spokesman for Mr Harris referred to a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The statement said the department was 'closely monitoring the situation' along with its embassy in Egypt.
'Embassy officials are engaging with the relevant local authorities and are in contact with EU and other partners regarding the situation.
'The department is in contact with a number of citizens and is providing advice and guidance.
'As set out in our travel advice, the vicinity of the Rafah border crossing is particularly dangerous at the moment and the border crossing is currently closed.'