Israeli court rejects appeals to release eight pro-Palestine activists arrested aboard Gaza-bound boat
LONDON: An Israeli court ruled to keep in detention eight pro-Palestine activists who were arrested this week by the Israeli navy aboard the Madleen ship, which was bound for Gaza.
The British-flagged vessel, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition, had 11 activists and a journalist on board, including the Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who was carrying aid for Palestinians in Gaza as an act of solidarity amid the Israeli attacks.
Israel released Thunberg on Tuesday following pressure from European governments. However, eight activists from Turkiye, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Brazil remain in the Ramla detention center, according to the Wafa news agency and lawyers from the Haifa-based Adalah legal center.
On Wednesday, an Israeli court rejected the appeals made by Adalah's lawyers to release the eight activists and ruled to keep them in custody.
The activists are Suayb Ordu from Turkiye; Mark van Rins from the Netherlands; Pascal Moreras, Riva Fiard, member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, Yanis Mohammadi, all from France; Tiago Ovila from Brazil; and Yasmin Ajar from Germany.
Adalah said that the Israeli court based its decision to continue the detention on the grounds of their 'illegal entry into Israel.' The legal center emphasized that none of the Madleen's activists intended to enter Israel or its territorial waters as they planned to depart from Sicily and reach Gaza's territorial waters, which are part of the state of Palestine, via international waters.
The Israeli navy intercepted the Madleen ship early on Tuesday morning, detaining the activists and taking them to Israel.
Adalah said that the court has scheduled a detention review hearing for July 8 if authorities have not deported the activists by that date.
Following her release and deportation from Israel on Tuesday, Thunberg said: 'I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel.'
'This is yet another intentional violation of rights that is added to the list of countless other violations that Israel is committing,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
35 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran denies reports it launched drones at Israel: Iran's Fars news agency
Iran's Fars news agency, citing security source, denied Israeli reports that Tehran has launched drones towards Israel on Friday, adding that Iran's revenge 'will take place in the near future.'
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
UK warns British travelers to Israel: Situation could escalate quickly
Britain on Friday updated its travel guidance to Israel, saying the situation could escalate quickly following Israeli strikes against nuclear and military facilities in Iran. 'The situation could escalate quickly and could pose significant risks, including missile fire,' an update on the government's website said. The same warning was added to its advice for the occupied Palestinian territories. Britain also re-issued its travel advice for other countries including Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Syria to include a warning on the risk of wider escalation.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran will ‘make enemy regret' attack: President
President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday that Iran will make Israel 'regret' its deadly attack which targeted multiple areas including nuclear sites. 'The Iranian nation and the country's officials will not remain silent in the face of this crime, and the legitimate and powerful response of the Islamic Republic of Iran will make the enemy regret its foolish act,' Pezeshkian said in a video statement aired on state TV.
