Pat Hickey’s family wants the Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan to meet with the Brazilian ambassador to Ireland to discuss the handling of his case.

The OCI president is still in Bangu prison in Rio as police continue to investigate the alleged illegal resale of tickets allocated to the council.

Lawyers for the 71-year-old are hopeful of securing his release and could be in a position to make an application to the courts as early as today.

Dublin based solicitor Anne Marie James, who is representing the Hickey family, thinks the Irish government should get more involved: “I would like the Minister to call the Brazilian ambassador in, and let them know that we are watching what they are doing over there.

“And make it clear that we want them to abide by the law.

“They are in my view in breach of their own laws, certainly the presumption of innocence has been tramped on the ground in this case, so I think that it is very important, who else is going to stick up for citizens abroad.”