Zionist forces held Avila and Abukeshek incommunicado and subjected them to threats and abuse.

On Sunday, lawyers from the human rights legal center Adalah confirmed that the Zionist state released Brazilian Thiago Avila and Hispano-Palestinian Saif Abukeshek, two members of the Global Sumud Flotilla who remained deprived of liberty for six days and on hunger strike over their detention.

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Avila left Israeli territory through the Taba border crossing with Egypt and plans to fly from Cairo to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia before traveling by air to Brazil.

“While they are now free, Adalah condemns the entire process as a flagrant violation of international law: from their abduction in international waters to their illegal detention in total isolation and the mistreatment to which they were subjected,” the organization said in a statement.

Adalah also said that the use of detention and interrogation against activists and human rights defenders is “an unacceptable attempt” by Israel to “suppress global solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.”

Avila’s wife, psychologist Lara Souza, said the Brazilian activist was confronted during his detention with photos of his family in Brazil “to threaten him, to psychologically torture him,” suggesting they were being monitored and could be harmed.

“During the transfer to Israel, they allegedly threatened to throw him off the ship on the high seas and break his entire body to prevent him from taking part in new humanitarian missions,” Souza added, calling on the Brazilian government to protect her husband.

On Sunday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported the deportation of Abukeshek and Avila, calling them “professional provocateurs,” and said it would not allow “any violation of the legitimate naval blockade on Gaza.”

‘We Must Keep Mobilizing’: Abukeshek

During the early morning of May 30, Flotilla members were detained by the Israeli navy in international waters and had been on hunger strike since their arrest, intensified by Abukeshek on the night of May 5 when he also refused to drink water. The two were interrogated for hours, but no formal charges have been filed against them.

Abukeshek, flew Sunday to Barcelona from Athens, Greece, but not before recording a video that the Global Sumud Flotilla posted on its X account.

“I am sure the treatment I have had to endure is not comparable to the suffering endured by Palestinian prisoners, including children and women. We have heard the testimonies about their daily torture and rights violations. We must keep mobilizing, we cannot forget the Palestinian prisoners,” Abukeshek said from Athens.

In his video, the activist added that he heard “the voices” of those who supported him from abroad, from his flotilla companions or relatives to his legal team at Adalah, but that the mission “is not over.”

“We must keep mobilizing until Palestine is free. This is just one step on the road, our colleagues in the flotilla are still sailing toward Gaza. Rise up in every corner of the world,” the Hispano-Palestinian activist said.

The United Nations had asked Israel for the “immediate and unconditional release” of the two activists and stressed that showing solidarity or trying to bring humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza is not a crime — the stated goal of this flotilla, which was also intercepted by Israel last year.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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