Sir, – The suggestion by Bríd Smith, a People Before Profit Alliance TD, that Ireland should withdraw its ambassador to Egypt over the Ibrahim Halawa affair is extremely unwise ("Call for ambassador to be recalled over Ibrahim Halawa", July 6th). As a sovereign state, Egypt will correctly take umbrage if our ambassador is recalled and is likely to harden its position concerning Mr Halawa. The best plan is to continue quiet diplomacy so that we can ensure the release of Mr Halawa without Egypt feeling that it has given way on sovereignty or that it has lost face. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’SULLIVAN,
Crossabeg, Co Wexford.
Sir, – While doing my local weekly shop, I was extremely disappointed to notice that there is produce from Egypt on the supermarket shelves. I was immediately reminded of the stance taken by those brave supermarket workers who stood up to authority and who refused to handle imported goods from South Africa during the repressive apartheid regime.
I will not buy produce from a country that blatantly refuses to practise basic human rights so that a citizen of Ireland, Ibrahim Halawa, is not given due process of law and is languishing in jail this past three years. What kind of humanity allows this to continue?
I beg my fellow citizens to refuse to buy imported goods from Egypt so that by this gesture we may get justice for Ibrahim Halawa. – Yours, etc,
SIOBHAN MORGAN,
Dublin 18.