Irish national Ibrahim Halawa denied bail in Cairo court

Irish student Ibrahim Halawa, who is being held in an Egyptian prison, has been refused bail.

Mr Halawa has been detained in Cairo since August 2013 having being arrested after a protest.

The case of the 19-year-old from Firhouse in south Dublin has been adjourned until June 6th. His mother and cousin were in court.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he was disappointed by the court's decision.

“It is extremely disappointing that the application for bail made by Ibrahim Halawa’s lawyers, and supported by the Irish Government, has been rejected,” he said.

“Our objectives in this case remain clear - to see this young Irish citizen released by the Egyptian authorities, and to provide consular support while he remains in detention.”

Mr Flanagan is expected to meet the Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry in New York on Monday.

Mr Halawa, whose father Sheikh Hussein Halawa is the imam of Ireland’s largest mosque, is being tried as part of a mass court action against almost 500 people.

He and his three sisters sought sanctuary in the Al Fateh mosque amid violent clashes between supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi and the security forces in 2013.

His sisters - Omaima, 20, Fatima, 22, and Somaia, 27, - have since returned to Dublin. They had been held separately from their brother in Tora prison.

The human rights organisation Amnesty International has described Mr Halawa as a prisoner of conscience and has been campaigning for his release.