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Israeli Court Extends Detention of 2 Gaza Flotilla Activists from Spain and Brazil by 2 Days
An Israeli court extended the detention of Spanish and Brazilian activists Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila until May 5 after their arrest from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The governments of Spain and Brazil called the detentions illegal in a joint statement. The activists deny charges of aiding terrorist groups and report abuse during transfer.
May 3, 7:55 AM·2m read10 sources
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An Israeli court in Ashkelon extended the detention of two activists by two days until May 5, a court spokesperson said. Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Thiago Avila, a Brazilian, appeared before the court on Sunday after Israeli authorities detained them late on Wednesday.
The pair were arrested aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday.
The activists were part of the second Global Sumud flotilla, which consisted of more than 50 vessels that set sail from France, Spain, and Italy. The ships departed from Barcelona on April 12 with the aim of breaking Israel's blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian territory.
More than 100 pro-Palestinian activists aboard the boats were taken to the Greek island of Crete, while Israel released all but two of some 175 activists removed from the flotilla in Greece.
Israeli authorities requested a four-day extension of the activists' arrest on suspicion of offenses including assisting the enemy during wartime, contact with a foreign agent, membership in and providing services to a terrorist organization, and the transfer of property for a terrorist organization, rights group Adalah said.
Hadeel Abu Salih, the men's attorney, said the two deny the allegations. "Their arrest was unlawful due to a lack of jurisdiction," Abu Salih told reporters at the Ashkelon Magistrate's Court after the hearing.
She added that the mission of the flotilla was meant to provide aid to civilians in Gaza, not to any militant group. The lawyers for Abu Keshek and Avila said the activists testified to severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea.
