NODAL requests immediate information on the situation of Argentine journalists.

On Tuesday, Carli Bianco, the government minister of Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, posted a complaint on social media regarding the situation of two journalists from News from Latin America and the Caribbean (NODAL) who were detained by eastern Libyan military forces on Sunday.

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“We continue to follow with great concern the situation of Argentine citizens Lucas Aguilera and Paula Gimenez, research directors at NODAL and members of the medical team of the Global Sumud Maghreb land convoy, who were detained in Libya 48 hours ago,” he said.

“The last communication occurred when they were being transferred after arriving at a checkpoint near Sirte to allow the humanitarian mission to proceed toward Gaza. Since then, there has been no official, concrete, and verifiable information regarding their whereabouts,” he added.

Bianco demanded that the administration of far-right President Javier Milei “carry out the necessary efforts to guarantee consular protection for both citizens, in accordance with the rights that protect them and the obligations of the national state, in a coordinated manner, activating all relevant multilateral mechanisms in response to the forced disappearance and unlawful deprivation of liberty of both citizens.”

On May 24, Argentine rapper Daniel Devita had already reported that the eastern Libyan army had abducted 10 activists from the humanitarian convoy traveling to Gaza, including psychologist Paula Gimenez and veterinarian Lucas Aguilera.

“It is essential to expand the demand and urge Argentine authorities to fulfill their duty of guaranteeing the safety and return of Paula and Lucas! Freedom for all fighters! Let humanitarian aid finally reach those who need it! Free Palestine!” the artist said through social media.

NODAL Calls for Respect for All Detained Activists

Other members of the Global Sumud Maghreb who were abducted by Libyan military personnel are Matias Alvarez (Uruguay), Alicia Armesto (Spain), Domenico Centrone (Italy), Leonarda Alberizia (Italy), Ana Margarida França Santana Baptista (Portugal), Lauro Kwoczala (Poland), Ashraf Khoja (Tunisia), and Jenelle Jones (United States).

Through its website, NODAL recalled that the Global Sumud Maghreb land convoy is a civilian, peaceful and humanitarian mission. Therefore, obstructing its progress or detaining its members could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law.

“The demand is based on principles established by the Fourth Geneva Convention, international resolutions and legal standards requiring humanitarian access for civilian populations in emergency situations,” NODAL stressed, while also demanding that Argentina’s Foreign Ministry intervene to protect the safety of Paula Gimenez and Lucas Aguilera.

More specifically, NODAL and the families affected by the actions of the eastern Libyan army are demanding the following:

-. Immediate information regarding the whereabouts and condition of Paula Gimenez and Lucas Aguilera, as well as the rest of the detained international delegation.

-. Urgent guarantees for their physical safety.

-. Immediate restoration of communication with the detained delegation.

-. Urgent intervention by Argentina’s Foreign Ministry and diplomatic representatives of the countries involved.

-. Free passage for the international humanitarian convoy headed to Gaza.

-. Full respect for international humanitarian law and protection guarantees for civilian assistance missions.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: NODAL – X

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