[News] Palestine - Concerns over Freedom Flotilla activists 'beaten, dragged'

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  Concerns over Freedom Flotilla activists 'beaten, dragged'

July 31, 2018 - http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780555
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Gaza's National Committee for Breaking the Siege 
expressed its concern for the safety of international solidarity 
activists who were aboard the Al Awda Freedom Flotilla ship when it was 
attacked <http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780540> by Israel in 
international waters.

The Freedom Flotilla members were detained 
<http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780552> by Israeli naval forces 
on Sunday and are still being held in the Israeli Givon prison in 
al-Ramla in central Israel.

The National Committee confirmed that Dr. Swee Chai Ang, a British 
activist, author, and orthopedic surgeon, suffered injuries due to being 
assaulted on board by masked Israeli naval forces.

Sources also confirmed that several activists were beaten by Israeli 
forces before being dragged out of the ship to be detained.

Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Zaher 
Birawi, said that this information contradicts Israel's statements and 
claims that the detention of the activists was peaceful and that no one 
was harmed.

Birawi holds Israel fully responsible for the safety of the activists, 
pointing out that Israel must provide them with medical care and 
demanded Israel to immediately release them.

He stressed that Israel will be prosecuted for the "crime of kidnapping" 
the Freedom Flotilla ship and its activists, who did not impose a threat 
to Israel's security.

Birawi requested Israel to also return media equipment belonging to 
journalists who were aboard the ship.
On Monday, Israeli authorities released two Israeli activists on bail, 
who were identified as Jonathan Shapira and Zuhr Chamberlain Regev, 
while the remaining 20 international activists were not given the option 
of release upon bail.

Regev said in a statement that "people on board were tasered and hit by 
masked Israeli soldiers. We did not get our passports or belongings 
before we got off the boat. Do not believe reports of peaceful 
interception."
Israel charged both, Regev and Shapira, with attempting to enter Gaza 
and conspiracy before being released on bail.

In 2010, one of the Freedom Flotilla ships was attacked by Israeli naval 
forces in international waters. The ship, which was carrying aid to 
Gaza, was attacked while being unarmed, killing 10 pro-Palestinian 
activists and injuring dozens of other peaceful activists.

The Freedom Flotilla ship peacefully sailed towards the shores of Gaza, 
with aim to draw the world's attention to the unjust siege and intending 
on breaking Israel's nearly 12-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.
-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 https://freedomarchives.org/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://freedomarchives.org/pipermail/news_freedomarchives.org/attachments/20180731/e7f730b7/attachment.htm>