Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avila were among dozens of activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla, intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece on April 30, according to research from four sources. Only Abukeshek and Avila were taken to Israel and remain in jail, flotilla organisers said. Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said Israeli authorities announced Abukeshek will be deported via the Taba crossing to Egypt for onward travel to Spain, and that he would be released within hours.
However, Israel's foreign ministry stated that Abukeshek has already been expelled, creating uncertainty about his current status. The activists have faced severe physical abuse in custody amounting to torture, according to Adalah, an Israeli rights group. Lawyer Hadeel Abu Salih, representing the activists, said they had visible bruises on their faces when they appeared in court in Israel.
Currently we are at such an early stage that we want to ensure his rights are met here and now and that we are granted consular access, and we have been granted that. It has not yet been made clear what he is accused of, and therefore it is difficult for us at this point to comment on it.
se, Abu Salih described that the activists testified they were subjected to violence and torture by the Israeli navy. One activist had visible marks from handcuffs, and the other has limited mobility in one arm, Abu Salih added. An Israeli court extended the activists' imprisonment until May 10, according to research.
There are conflicting accounts regarding the charges: Adalah said no charges have been filed against Abukeshek and Avila, but they face accusations including affiliation with a terrorist organization and contact with foreign agents. However, other reports indicate that Abukeshek has been charged in Israel with suspected ties to an organization classified as terrorist by Israel. Israel has claimed Abukeshek is a member of the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), classified as a terrorist organization by Israel.
She was a woman of remarkable joy and great strength. She faced years of serious illness with courage, serenity, and dignity, driven by an unwavering will to live and surrounded by the unconditional dedication of her family.
The UN has called for the immediate release of Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, and for an investigation into accounts of severe mistreatment, according to UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan. Al-Kheetan stated: "It is not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are in dire need of it. " Spain has protested more strongly than Sweden against the detention of Abukeshek, according to research.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said Sweden wants to ensure Abukeshek's rights are met and consular access has been granted. com, Stenergard described that at this early stage, Sweden wants to ensure his rights are met and consular access has been granted, and that it is not yet clear what he is accused of. Sweden's foreign ministry takes the reports of mistreatment seriously.
Abukeshek and Avila are on a hunger strike, drinking only water, since their abduction last Thursday, flotilla organisers said. Their current health status is not known. Thiago Avila's mother, Teresa Regina de Avila e Silva, died in Brasilia at age 63, according to a flotilla announcement.
The Global Sumud Flotilla described her as "a woman of remarkable joy and great strength" who faced illness with courage.