Two Gaza flotilla foreign activists appear in Israeli court

Two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla who were brought to Israel for interrogation appeared before an Israeli court on Sunday, a rights group defending them told AFP.

The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy with the aim of breaking an Israeli blockade of Gaza and bringing supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory.

They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had removed some 175 activists — two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in Ashkelon on Sunday.

“The state asked to extend their detention by four days,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, told AFP.

On Saturday, Adalah said its lawyers had met the two detained activists at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon.

Avila told the lawyers he had been “subjected to extreme brutality” when the vessels were seized, adding that he was “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice”.

Since arriving in Israel, he said he had been “kept in isolation and blindfolded,” according to Adalah.

Abu Keshek was also “hand-tied and blindfolded … and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure” until reaching Israel, the group said.

Israel’s foreign ministry said the pair were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA) — a group accused by Washington of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” Palestinian militant group Hamas.

It said Abu Keshek was a leading PCPA member and that Avila was also linked to the organisation and “suspected of illegal activity”.

Spain has condemned the detention of Abu Keshek and rejected the Israeli accusation against him.

Organisers of the latest flotilla said the Israeli interception took place more than 1,000 kilometres from Gaza and their equipment was smashed, leaving them facing a “calculated death trap at sea”.

Dozens of intercepted activists disembarked on the Greek island of Crete on Friday, an AFP journalist said.

The Global Sumud Flotilla’s first Mediterranean voyage to Gaza last year drew worldwide attention, before being intercepted by Israeli forces off the coasts of Egypt and Gaza.

Crew members, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested and expelled by Israeli forces.