Ibrahim Halawa says he received 'such hateful comments' when he arrived back in Ireland, but it's something he has been able to overcome.
The Irish man was arrested in Egypt in August 2013, after taking part in a pro-democracy rally following the ousting of president Mohamed Morsi in a military coup.
Still in his late teens, he spent four years in jail.
He was finally being released in October 2017 after being acquitted of all charges.
Now 25, Ibrahim joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder for the Thursday Interview.
He said: "When I came home, I received such hateful comments, saying ‘if you got a rat in a horse stall, and he grew up in a horse stall… he’s surely never going to become a horse’.
"It was difficult and painful to read such comments and hate… but I am able to overcome it.
“As a good friend of mine always says, love and hate is something you choose. You either choose to be bitter, or to be kind and loving."
Ibrahim believes it's vital to draw a line between free speech and hate speech.
He observed: "Once you start attacking someone and making them not feel welcome or safe, or sending death threats into their inbox… that is not freedom of speech, that is hate speech. It causes nothing but a bitter society.
“As great and open as Ireland has become, there’s still a lot of hate that needs to be addressed.
"But I’m not going to be one of those people saying ‘Ireland is full of hate’ or ‘Ireland is full of racism’... Ireland is a wonderful country. It’s my home, my people."
'Devastating' experience
When he returned to Ireland, Ibrahim faced intense scrutiny - with many questioning whether he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood group, something he has firmly denied.
He observed: “I was happy and excited to be finally released and back home. To be put in such a hot seat was devastating for me… it went on for a very long time.
“I definitely feel if I was white and my name was Michael… and I was sitting on that seat… you would have had a hero coming home.
“It caused me devastation and depression… I don’t want people to go through that. It lasted for a good while."
He said he ultimately withdrew from the TV and public eye for a while, as he felt his appearances 'shed light on the circle of hate and Twitter trolls'.
He was able to overcome it and move on with his life and work, including working on his law degree and human rights activism.
Ibrahim said many people put him down for his motivation to help and create change after his time in prison.
Nonetheless, he doesn't like describing his experience in Egypt as a 'negative phase' in his life - saying that while his time in prison was difficult, it brought him to where he is today.
