UPDATE: Activists from the aid caravan to Gaza detained in Libya, on hunger strike | International
International Report:
Global attention remains focused on this evolving story as officials and analysts assess the broader implications.
The 10 activists who participated in the caravan to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by land and who were arrested on May 24 while trying to cross eastern Libya have not eaten or drunk anything for five days. They began a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment and alleged ill-treatment. The Global Sumud Flotilla makes “an urgent life or death appeal” for the release of the volunteers, according to a statement released Thursday. “His health is deteriorating rapidly,” adds the organization. The other activists who were not detained have already begun to return to their countries. Italy has requested this Friday the release of the two Italian activists imprisoned along with the other eight volunteers. The Italian consul, Filippo Colombo, has also asked local authorities for permission to visit them. On Monday, the Spanish consul, Manuel Baena, traveled to Benghazi, in the east of the country, to negotiate the release of the Spanish journalist Alicia Armesto, who is among those arrested. His exact whereabouts are unknown; It is known that they were detained near Sirte, a coastal city located between Tripoli (the capital) and Benghazi, when they were trying to negotiate the passage of the entire caravan, made up of 230 people. The expedition crossed the west of the Maghreb country without incident, but failed to obtain permission to cross its eastern side, which is today in the hands of Marshal Khalifa Hafter’s forces since the years after Gaddafi’s fall in 2011. The 10 detainees had volunteered to negotiate the passage through Sirte for the entire caravan, which is made up of citizens from more than 20 countries. Among them are doctors, engineers, lawyers, educators and humanitarian workers. The last communication with this small group now detained occurred on May 24 at 3:22 p.m., when one of the participants in this negotiating delegation sent a message to the rest of the group informing them that they were being transferred in three unmarked white vans. In the prison, “several cases of fainting were recorded, especially affecting women,” write the organizers of the Maghreb Sumud Organization and the Global Sumud Flotilla in the statement. “Despite the seriousness of their condition, the Libyan authorities deny them outside medical care. Official medical teams have not been allowed to visit the detainees,” they add. The organizers maintain that it is the doctors themselves who are part of the captured convoy who “are forced to monitor and examine their colleagues, despite being seriously exhausted themselves.” “They are being held in an isolated prison complex, for civilians, managed by the Ministry of the Interior,” the organizers denounce. They add that this prison is known as a “black site” or “clandestine detention center.” They are facing “a calculated campaign of psychological harassment and intensive interrogations”, in addition to remaining “completely isolated from the outside world, from their families and from independent legal representation”, the organizations state. Ahmed, who is part of the steering committee of the caravan and who is in Libya at the moment, tells this newspaper through WhatsApp messages that “nothing is clear” from the Libyan authorities. On Monday, he explained that they received almost no information about the real status of their detained colleagues. The Italian consulate had informed him that they would have to appear in court very soon, but it was not clear when. The organizers emphasize that the Libyan authorities are giving contradictory information: on the one hand, they are informed that the detained volunteers will appear in court and, on the other, that they will be released soon. They believe, “this is a cruel tactic designed to play on their nerves.” [de los detenidos] and prolong their illegal confinement.” The organizers reiterate that “all the volunteers had valid visas and had entered the country legally.” According to them, before starting the trip, they requested authorizations and guarantees of safe passage from more than 20 governments, including Libya and Egypt. The difficulties began when they arrived in the Sirte area, territory controlled by forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Hafter. The Government of National Unity, based in Tripoli, has international recognition, but Hafter dominates large areas of the east of the country with the support of regional allies such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. It is an area considered extremely risky by the United States Department of State due to the presence of armed groups, political instability, the terrorist threat and the high risk of kidnappings. For the Global Sumud Flotilla, “the Libyan authorities and the Ministry of the Interior are fully responsible, both legally and morally, for the life and physical integrity of these international humanitarian workers.” quickly; Without immediate intervention, this humanitarian crisis will become a tragedy.” The initiative coordinated its land journey with the so-called Global Sumud Flotilla, the parallel maritime mission that was intercepted by Israel on May 18 and whose members were deported to their respective countries after suffering attacks and torture by Israeli forces. The caravan began its journey in Mauritania on May 15, coinciding with the commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba. It planned to cross several countries in North Africa. until reaching the Rafah border crossing, between Egypt and Gaza. The convoy also transports seven ambulances, 20 mobile homes and 10 trucks loaded with aid destined for the Gazan population.
Key Developments:
Experts suggest the long-term impact of these developments may become clearer as more information emerges.
Observers believe further developments could significantly shape the direction of this story in the near future.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing international story.
Source: This article was originally published by Internacional en EL PAÍS and adapted for our international English-speaking audience.
Read the original article here.