The Australian journalist who shared a cell in Egypt with Ibrahim Halawa for a time has said the Irish Government has a responsibility to protect his rights.
Mr Halawa, who is from Dublin, was arrested by the Egyptian army as he took refuge in a Cairo mosque while Muslim Brotherhood protesters staged a "day of refuge" outside in August 2013.
He has spent more than 1,000 days in prison.
Peter Greste, who was released in February 2015, told RTÉ's News at One that there is a way that the Government can make sure his rights are protected without insulting the judiciary of another country.
Mr Greste said it is hard to know what has gone on behind closed doors and what efforts have been made by the State, but he said in his experience it took a great deal of public, political and diplomatic pressure from the Australian government to obtain his release.
He said there is another approach, that of the quiet diplomatic one, but added that if this has been the approach of the Irish Government then they need to change their tactics.
"What the responsibility of Irish Government, of any government is to protect the rights and interests of its nationals.
"Now clearly the Irish Government can't directly intercede in a judicial process as long as that process is being carried out above board and with full transparency and Ibrahim's rights are protected and defended.
"And it seems hard to think that that's actually taking place in Ibrahim's case."
Former BBC journalist Peter Greste gives his eye-witness account of the case in tomorrow's Documentary on One: Cairo Cellmates on RTÉ Radio 1 at 2pm
