Global Sumud Flotilla Activists Appear in Special Court
Activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, who attempted to break the Gaza blockade, appeared in a special court established within the Saharonim prison in the Negev desert, confirmed lawyer Nariman Shehade Zoabi from the "Adalah" legal center. A collective deportation decision is expected to be made at the end of the hearing.
According to the lawyer, activists from countries with diplomatic relations with the Israeli entity will be deported by air, while others, including Tunisians, will be transferred via Jordan. The "Adalah" legal team, responsible for their defense, was waiting on Friday evening for the end of the procedures to know the precise conclusions of the hearings.
The flotilla's boats, which attempted to break the Gaza blockade, were intercepted on Wednesday in international waters off the Gaza Strip, a maneuver qualified as a "manifest war crime" by the support legal team. Among the approximately 200 arrested activists are 25 Tunisian nationals.
In reaction, Tunisian activists organized a sit-in on Thursday evening in front of the US embassy in Tunis, while nocturnal marches of support were held in several governorates. Additionally, political parties, associations, and national organizations called on the Tunisian authorities to intervene urgently to exert pressure for the immediate release of their nationals.
The President of the Republic, Kais Saied, received on Thursday the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad, Mohamed Ali Nafti. He emphasized the need to redouble efforts to ensure the rapid return of the detained Tunisians.
The support legal team for the flotilla affirmed that they are closely following all developments and have activated all necessary legal mechanisms, in coordination with international organizations. They maintain permanent contact with the families of the detainees and urge the Tunisian diplomatic authorities to act on all fronts to obtain their immediate release.
