Irish teenager caught up with his sisters in Egypt protests is 'being beaten to hell' in a Cairo prison

Ibrihim Halawa was arrested at a mosque on Saturday with his three sisters

Their other sister says the men in Tora prison have 'been beaten to hell'

Irish government is working to secure the siblings' release

Militants execute 25 policemen as 36 prisoners are gassed to death amidst continuing violence in Egypt

William Hague warns of 'years of turbulence' in the country



A 17-year-old Irish boy who is currently in jail in Cairo could have been 'beaten to hell' by Egyptian prison guards, according to his sister.



Ibrihim Halawa and his three sisters were caught up in violence at the Al Fateh mosque on Saturday, and detained by security forces when they stormed the building.



Their sister Nasaybi Halawa, at the family home in Dublin, said she believed her siblings are being held at Tora prison, where all the men have been beaten.



Arrested: The Halawa siblings, Ibrihim, Fatima, Omaima and Somala (pictured left to right) are currently in a Cairo jail after getting caught up in protests at a mosque Family: Hussein Halawa, pictured with Omama, is the imam of Ireland's largest mosque

'I was speaking to someone a few minutes ago and they told me that they saw my sister in Tora jail and I asked them about my brother,' Ms Halawa said.



'The person I'm speaking to told me they were beating men to hell. She doesn't know how my brother looks but she told me, "I can guarantee for you, all the men were beaten there. They didn't exclude anyone from hitting them."'

The chaotic situation in Egypt has continued for the past two days, with mass killings reported on both sides of the political divide.

Yesterday 36 Muslim Brotherhood members died while being transported to jail when police fired tear gas into their prison van, apparently after the detainees started a riot.

This morning, militants in the lawless Sinai Peninsula ambushed two prison vans and killed 25 off-duty police officers in execution style.

William Hague spoke out this morning to warn that the country would face 'years of turbulence' as civil conflict rages.



Location: The siblings are being held in the Tora prison, where male inmates are routinely beaten Ibrihim was arrested on Saturday along with his sisters Omaima, 20, Fatima, 22, and Somaia, 27.

He completed his school leaving certificate before the summer holiday, and was due to hear back from the universities he applied to today.

His father, Sheikh Hussein Halawa - the imam of Ireland's largest mosque - has appealed for the Irish Government to act quickly to free his children from detention. Ms Halawa said she was worried her siblings would be killed, telling RTE Radio: 'There is no difference now between anyone. They can kill anyone.

'We don't know anything about my brother and sisters. We don't know if they are safe.

'We don't know if they are eating or drinking, where they sleep now, whether they have had any food since they left the home last time. We don't know anything about them.' Carnage: The scene outside the Al Fateh mosque on Saturday, when the Halawa siblings were arrested Flashpoint: The mosque, pictured, was the centre of campaigns against the military-backed interim regime She admitted that her siblings had been involved in protests, but insisted that they were peaceful, adding: ' The people want democracy and other people want a coup. People in Egypt want democracy.'

Tear gas was fired and heavy gunfire was heard before the mosque, in the Ramses area of Cairo, was cleared on Saturday. The Halawa siblings have made no direct contact with their family since. It is understood their mobile phones were seized.

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has said it continues to work closely with counterparts in Egypt in a bid to secure the safe release of the family.

The Halawas had travelled to Egypt earlier this summer for a holiday and were joined by their mother a fortnight ago.

They were forced to seek sanctuary in the Al Fateh mosque on Friday after violent clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and the security forces killed around 80 people.

More than 800 people have died in the carnage that has followed a military crackdown over the past five days. Lockdown: Much of Cairo has been flooded with armoured vehicles and soldiers in a crackdown on protests

Army: Soldiers have been accused of massacring protesters demanding Mohammed Morsi's reinstatement

Hussein Halawa emigrated from Egypt to Ireland nearly two decades ago, and is now the imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland in the Clonskeagh district of Dublin.

Joe Costello, a minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs, today said that the siblings were 'in good health' and had made contact with a Turkish diplomat.



The siblings will be taken to a prosecutors' office in Cairo this afternoon, with a representative from the local Irish Embassy.



'We will find out today what the attitudes of the authorities are towards the Halawas and we will be able to inform their father and sister back in Ireland,' Mr Costello said.



'It's good news that the Turkish diplomat spoke to them as late as yesterday and it's a relief to hear that they are in good form and that they have been kept together.



'That was a big concern, that they may have been separated. But we'll find out the attitude of the authorities today and we'll move from there.'

Protests: Cairo has been wracked with violence since the deposition of president Mohammed Morsi

Confrontation: A soldier holds back the crowds outside Al Fateh as Islamists leave the mosque building

William Hague today admitted that the outlook for Egypt is 'very bleak' and said that Britain's influence in the region was 'limited'.



The Foreign Secretary added that the events across the Middle East would echo for decades, but said he was optimistic about the future of democracy in the region.



'It is a very bleak situation, it is hard to under-estimate the hate and distrust on both sides of the politics in Egypt,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.



'But I would not accept there is nothing at all we can do about it. Our influence may be limited - it is a proudly independent country - and there may be years of turbulence in Egypt and other countries going through this profound debate about the nature of democracy and the role of religion in their society.



'We have to do our best to promote democratic institutions and political dialogue and to keep faith with the majority of Egyptians who just want a peaceful and stable country.'



Mr Hague added: 'What is happening now in the Middle East is the most important event so far of the 21st century, even compared to the financial crisis we have been through and its impact on world affairs.'



Tory MP Crispin Blunt criticised the UK Government's 'inadequate' response to the situation - and called for asset seizures and the dismissal of the Egyptian ambassador.

