Al-Quds– Saba:
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) confirmed on Tuesday that Israeli enemy authorities continue to detain eight Madeleine volunteers, nearly 24 hours after contact with them was lost, noting that four others have been forcibly deported.
The FFC explained in a statement that lawyers from Adalah organization were able to interview 10 of the 12 volunteers, while journalists Omar Fayyad (from Al Jazeera) and Yanis Mohammadi (from France) are appearing before private legal counsel, according to Sanad News Agency.
According to the statement, the list of deported volunteers includes activists and journalists from several European and Latin American countries: Baptiste André (France), Greta Thunberg (Sweden), Sergio Toribio (Spain), and Omar Fayyad (France).
It indicated that those who remain in Israeli custody are being held. They are: Saeb Ordu (Turkey), Mark van Rijn (Netherlands), Pascal Moreiras (France), Riva Viard (France), Rima Hassan (France), Thiago Avila (Brazil), Yanis Mohammadi (France), and Yasmin Akar (Germany).
The Israeli naval forces intercepted the Madeleine ship in international waters before it reached its destination in the Gaza Strip at dawn on Monday. They arrested the activists on board and took it to the port of Ashdod on the occupied Palestinian coast.
The coalition confirmed that Israel treats the volunteers as having entered the country illegally, despite their "forcible abduction from international waters and forced entry into Israel," considering this a flagrant violation of international law.
It noted that the Israeli authorities gave the volunteers the choice between signing deportation documents or remaining in detention and appearing before the Israeli judiciary. Many of them refused to sign, stressing that their mission was humanitarian, and that their detention and interception of the boat were unlawful. Legal."
The coalition stated that the legal team will demand the release of the volunteers without deportation and allow them to resume their mission in Gaza, despite acknowledging that the legal system in the Israeli entity is primarily used to legitimize aggression and settlement.
The Freedom Flotilla emphasized its full support for the 12 volunteers, calling for their immediate release, and denouncing Israel's continued persecution of humanitarian activists.
It is worth noting that the Madeleine is one of the ships participating in the Freedom Flotilla, which seeks to break the naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip.
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