Humanitarian Flotilla: Detainees Face Inhumane Conditions and Legal Battles
In the past 24 hours, lawyers from the NGO Adalah (Justice) were able to meet with over 300 participants of the Resilience Flotilla, detained at the port of Ashdod, awaiting their hearing before the immigration authorities of the Zionist state. Several of them were initially denied any legal assistance, after lawyers were banned from accessing the detainees, according to a statement published yesterday by the Global Somud Flotilla.
Illegal Interception and Human Rights Violations
The interception of the humanitarian convoy in international waters constitutes an illegal act akin to kidnapping, according to Adalah. Testimonies collected reported mistreatment, with activists being forcibly handcuffed, forced to kneel for hours, insulted, and deprived of water, medical care, and medication. The NGO denounces a campaign of demonization, falsely accusing activists of terrorist affiliation to delegitimize their peaceful mission.
Inhumane Detention Conditions
After being transferred to the Ketziot prison, a facility regularly condemned for its inhumane detention conditions in the Negev desert near the Egyptian border, several hearings were held without the presence of lawyers, violating the right to a fair trial. The activists from the Flotilla then appeared before a special court set up inside the Saharonim prison, also in the Negev desert, with lawyers from Adalah ensuring their defense.
Expected Expulsion and Deportation
A decision ordering the expulsion of all activists is likely to be made at the end of the hearings. Participants holding nationalities from countries with diplomatic relations with Israel will be expelled by air to their respective countries, while others, whose states have no relations with the entity, will be deported via Jordan.
Italian Parliamentarians Released
Four Italian parliamentarians among the flotilla participants were able to return to Italy on Friday. Upon arrival in Rome, they stated: "We are worried about those who are still there."
Tunisian Participants on Hunger Strike
Tunisian activists arrested by the Israeli army on board the Flotilla announced their entry into an unlimited hunger strike upon arrival at the port of Ashdod, before being transferred to the Ketziot prison. In a statement published by the Flotilla, they denounce arbitrary detention and illegal prosecution, affirming that their action aims to alert international opinion to the humanitarian law violations committed by Israel.
Call for Immediate Release
The Presidency of the Assembly of People's Representatives has firmly condemned the Israeli aggression against the ships of the Global and Maghreb Resilience Flotilla, on a humanitarian mission to break the Gaza blockade. In a statement published yesterday, it denounces the arrest of hundreds of participants, including Tunisians, among them MP Mohamed Ali, president of the Commission on Rights and Freedoms, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
The Assembly urges all parliamentary instances and international organizations to denounce these practices, ensure the safety of detainees, and intensify efforts to support the Palestinian cause, put an end to violence against civilians in Gaza, and deliver humanitarian and medical aid.
