2. Statement by the President

Verbatim reports

The President made a statement condemning the recent attacks in Istanbul, Mogadishu and Cairo, which had left many dead. He also referred to the collapse of a church roof in Uyo (Nigeria), in which at least 160 people had died. He conveyed Parliament's condolences to the families of the victims.

He also referred to the case of the Irish national Ibrahim Halawa, who had been prosecuted in Egypt for participating in a demonstration and risked the death penalty; he announced that he had asked the President of the Republic of Egypt to take into consideration the fact that the accused had been a minor at the time the acts of which he is accused had been committed.

Finally, he announced that he had asked the Ethiopian Prime Minister for the immediate release of the opposition politician Merera Gudina, who had been arrested on 30 November 2016 on his return from a trip to Europe during which he had met Members of the European Parliament among others.