Israel court extends detention of Gaza flotilla activists
Posted by Naurgul@reddit | anime_titties | View on Reddit | 4 comments
An Israeli court has extended by two days the detention of two activists arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters near Greece, their lawyer said on Sunday.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were detained by Israeli authorities late on Wednesday and brought to Israel, while more than 100 other pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete.
A court spokesperson confirmed that their remand had been extended until May 5.
The governments of Spain and Brazil issued a joint statement on Friday calling their detention illegal.
The activists were part of a second Global Sumud flotilla, launched in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian assistance. The ships had set sail from Barcelona on April 12.
Israeli authorities requested a four-day extension of their arrest on suspicion of offences that include assisting the enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation, and the transfer of property for a terrorist organisation, said rights group Adalah, which is assisting in the activists' defence.
Hadeel Abu Salih, the men's attorney, said that the two deny the allegations. Their arrest was unlawful due to a lack of jurisdiction, she told Reuters at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court after the hearing, adding that the mission was meant to provide aid to civilians in Gaza, not to any militant group.
Abu Salih said that Abu Keshek and Avila were subjected to violence en route to Israel and kept handcuffed and blindfolded until Thursday morning.
See also:
- 2 flotilla activists on hunger strike; Israel to seek 6-day remand, their lawyers say (Times of Israel)
- British Gaza flotilla activists say they needed hospital care after Israeli forces’ abuse • Alice Chapman and Zak Khan say they were beaten, kicked and spat on after detention near Crete last week (The Guardian)
LetMeHaveAUsername@reddit
"Israel continues to hold on to innocent victims that it kidnapped in an act of piracy in international waters". Like, fucking honestly, the bullshit language used in media when states act like criminals is infuriating.
SpontaneousFlame@reddit
I’m sure it’s entirely coincidental that both Spain and Brazil have criticised Israel’s genocide and downgraded diplomatic ties. It’s normal to treat every civilian from countries that do that as terrorists and kidnap, torture and abuse them. You know, just to make the countries that dared downgrade ties or criticise Israel beg for them back.
anonymosoctopus@reddit
There’s at least one other Spanish crew member who didn’t have their detention extended so there’s some other reason they’ve been detained for longer that isn’t based on nationality.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260502-31-activists-injured-during-israeli-interception-of-gaza-bound-aid-flotilla-global-sumud/
Source mentions two Spaniards were injured.
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