Twenty-five Tunisian nationals are among the 500 activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla currently detained in Israel after the interception of their convoy off Gaza. They appear before a special court installed in Saharonim prison, in the Negev desert, where a collective expulsion decision is expected.
According to Me Nariman Shehade Zoabi, lawyer for the Adalah legal center, activists whose countries have diplomatic relations with Israel will be expelled by air. The others, of which Tunisians, should be transferred via Jordan. The legal team follows the hearings to determine the exact conclusions.
Activists were arrested in international waters on Wednesday while trying to break the Gaza blockade. Defense lawyers describe this operation as “manifest war crime”.
Mobilization in Tunisia
The presence of 25 Tunisians among the detainees aroused great emotion. On Thursday evening, a sit-in was held in front of the United States Embassy in Tunis, while nightlife in solidarity took place in several regions of the country. National political parties, associations and organizations urged the authorities to act quickly to obtain their release.
The National Commission for the Support for the Resistance in Palestine called on Friday the Tunisians to participate in a national march on Saturday October 4 in Tunis. The departure is scheduled at 3 p.m. at Place du Passage, before reaching Avenue Habib Bourguiba.
Official Tunisian position
The President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed, received the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Thursday Mohamed Ali Nafti to examine the situation. He insisted on the need to redouble diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid return of the Tunisians detained.
The legal team of “Adalah”, in coordination with international organizations, claims to maintain permanent contact with the families of arrested activists. It claims to have activated all possible mechanisms to obtain their immediate release.
The flotilla for Gaza, made up of more than 40 ships and around 500 activists, was intercepted on Wednesday evening by the Israeli navy in international waters off Gaza. A total of 473 members of the Sumud world flotilla were arrested by the Israeli authorities, including 25 Tunisian citizens.
