An Israeli court yesterday extended for two days the detention of two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them said.
The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had removed some 175 activists — two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon yesterday. “The court extended their detention by two days,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, told AFP.
Adalah said the state attorney had presented a list of suspected offences committed by the pair, including “assisting the enemy during wartime” and “membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation”. But Adalah’s lawyers challenged the state’s jurisdiction, arguing against the “unlawful abduction” of the two activists in international waters.
Its lawyers told the court Avila and Abu Keshek had testified to “severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea”.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected claims that the men were subjected to physical violence.
“We argued that ... they were part of a humanitarian mission that aimed to provide humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza, and not to any other organisation, whether terrorist or not,” lawyer Hadeel Abu Salih said after the court hearing.
“We deny all the accusations that were presented... and demand these two men be released immediately,” she said.
Spain’s government has called for Abu Keshek’s “immediate release”. Israel’s foreign ministry said the pair were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) — a group accused by Washington of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” Palestinian group Hamas.
