An Israeli legal rights group Adalah has demanded immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of two foreign activists unlawfully taken into custody following Israel’s seizure of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla.
In a letter sent Friday to the Israeli navy’s legal advisor, Adalah said the activists, Thiago Avila from Brazil and Saif Abu Keshek from Spain, were being held unlawfully and must be granted immediate access to legal counsel before any questioning begins.
“Israel’s actions amount to the abduction of foreign civilians in international waters without legal authority,” Adalah said in a statement.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry later said the two activists would be questioned by law enforcement authorities after being transferred to Israel, alleging they were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), an organisation sanctioned by the US Treasury.
Washington imposed sanctions on the group in January, accusing it of organising civilian flotillas intended to challenge Israel’s naval blockade on Gaza.
Both activists are expected to receive consular visits from representatives of their respective countries, the ministry added.
Avila had previously helped organise a Gaza-bound flotilla last year that was also intercepted by Israeli forces.
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The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla set sail in April from the Italian island of Sicily, with 58 vessels aiming to break Israel’s years-long blockade of Gaza. Earlier vessels had departed Barcelona on April 12.
Israeli forces halted the boats overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, detaining activists and seizing vessels in international waters.
