Members of the flotilla who tried to get to Gaza this Wednesday claim to have been subject to “aggressions, threats and harassment” by the Israeli authorities, “including being violently awakened every time they tried to sleep.” This has been announced by the Global Sumud in a statement, in which they report that NGO lawyers Adalah have met with 331 crew members in the last 24 hours.
“The rights of the participants were systematically violated throughout this process. In addition to being deprived of access to water, bathrooms and medicines, they were also denied access to lawyers, which violated their basic rights to due process, to a fair trial and legal representation,” they denounce from the flotilla. And they add: “The whole process is illegal from beginning to end. Interception itself violated international law, constituting a kidnapping in international waters.”
As defended by the activist vessel, “Israel's justification for detention cannot be sustained”, since “the block itself is illegal, it constitutes a collective punishment and works as a central tool of the current genocide.”
In turn, the leader of the Portuguese Party Bloco de Esquerda, Mariana Mortágua, which consists of one of those arrested by Israel, has reported that they have not given them food or water in 48 hours. His sister, Joana Mortágua, has denounced it this afternoon, through Instagram, where he points out that this information was transferred by the consul of Portugal in Israel. “Mother. They have not treated us well. Neither water nor food 48h. But everything is fine and I have not yet stopped in isolation. They call demonstrations. Talk to Joana and the Bloco (of Esquerda),” says the message of Mariana Mortágua published by her sister, who announced that there will be a protest this Saturday in Lisbon.
The consul only access a part of the Spaniards
The consul in Tel Aviv has only been able to contact a part of the Spanish members of the Gaza Flotilla, as reported by the Foreign Ministry, which ensures that it has had access to the center in which they are held by Israel and that it will return “until you have been able to visit all the Spaniards and Spanish and are all free and back to Spain”. The minister, José Manuel Albares, is in contact with representatives of the relatives of the members of the flotilla.
At the moment, the Government is not adopting any measure due to the interception of ships with Spanish crew in international waters, although Pedro Sánchez said they would study the possible actions once they are back at home.
Minister Ultra Israeli Ben-Gvir visits the detainees to insult them
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, went to the port of Ashdod on Thursday night, where the Navy had transferred to the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla, to increase and insult them.
According to a video broadcast on social networks, Minister Ultra shouted the detainees, all sitting on the ground, who were “terrorists” and “murderers's defenders.” “His ships are a total disaster,” he said as he pointed them out and told them that they did not go to “help”: “They have come to support the terrorists.” The activists responded with some shouts of “free Palestine.”
Subsequently, Ben-Gvir got on one of the ships of the flotilla that the Israeli army moved to port to insist on the idea that they did not carry humanitarian aid: “I don't see anything here.” “This was a great party. It does not help, not humanitarian,” he concludes, as he leaves the boat.