Gaza march activists say participants in Egypt beaten, detained
CAIRO (Reuters) -Organisers of a march to the Egyptian border with Gaza said on Tuesday that three participants were abducted by plainclothes officers in Cairo amid a wave of arbitrary detentions, deportations and abuse by security forces.
Egypt's interior and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to the allegations. Reuters could not independently verify the reported detentions or conditions.
The Global March to Gaza, launched this month, brought over 4,000 activists from more than 80 countries to Egypt in an attempt to peacefully approach the Rafah border crossing and draw attention to Gaza's deepening humanitarian crisis.
Since their arrival, dozens of participants said they have faced airport interrogations, deportations and roadblocks preventing access to the Sinai peninsula, which provides the land route to Gaza.
In a statement on Tuesday, organisers said three international participants were forcibly taken from a Cairo cafe on Monday by security officers who did not identify themselves.
Those named were Jonas Selhi and Huthayfa Abuserriya, both from Norway, and Saif Abukeshek, a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin and one of the march's organisers.
The statement said that according to Selhi, all three men were blindfolded, beaten and interrogated. Abukeshek, he said, faced especially severe abuse. His whereabouts remain unknown, while Selhi and Abuserriya have since been deported to Norway, organisers said.
Two security sources denied to Reuters that any detainees were treated violently as long as they adhered to procedures and security instructions until their deportation. The sources said that approximately 400 people have been deported, while fewer than 30 remain awaiting deportation and are being held.
"We urge the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Saif Abukeshek and all other detained march participants," the statement said, adding that the group had suspended its Egypt-based plans and made efforts to coordinate with authorities.
Egypt's foreign ministry had previously said travel to the Rafah area required prior approval to ensure safety. Organisers say they sought to coordinate through proper channels.
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Enter Email Sign Up The federal case Two of the six federal counts can carry the death penalty, something federal prosecutors have not sought in a Minnesota-based case since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976. 'Will we seek the death penalty? It's too early to tell. That is one of the options,' Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said Monday at a news conference where he revealed new details of what he described as a meticulously planned attack. They included allegations that Boelter also stopped at the homes of two other lawmakers that night and had dozens of other Democrats as potential targets, including officials in other states. Advertisement Boelter's federal defenders have declined to comment on the case, and he has not entered a plea. On her first day in office in February, Attorney General Pam Bondi lifted a moratorium on federal executions that was imposed under the Biden administration in 2021. 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'There's a natural competitiveness that occurs sometimes between jurisdictions, but you have to hope that in the end, they're all facing the same way where there's something as important to public safety as this case is,' Osler said. ___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington contributed. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
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