Israel court extends detention of two Gaza flotilla activists; lawyers say pair subjected to 'severe physical abuse'

An Israeli court on Sunday extended for two days the detention of two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them said.

The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring 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 the southern city of Ashkelon on Sunday.

AFP footage showed the pair being escorted into the courtroom, with Avila walking with his hands behind his back and Abu Keshek’s feet in shackles.

“The court extended their detention by two days,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, told AFP.

Adalah said the state attorney had presented a list of suspected offences authorities said the pair was accused of committing, including “assisting the enemy during wartime” and “membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation”.

But Adalah’s lawyers challenged the state’s jurisdiction, arguing against the “unlawful abduction” of the two activists in international waters.

Its lawyers told the court Avila and Abu Keshek had testified to “severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea”.

Call for swift release

Israel’s foreign ministry rejected accusations that the men were subjected to physical violence.

“Contrary to the false and baseless claims prepared in advance, at no point were Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago vila subjected to torture,” ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP.

“Following violent physical obstruction by Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago vila against Israeli staff members, staff were compelled to act in order to stop these actions. All measures taken were in accordance with the law,” he insisted.

No formal charges were filed against the two, Adalah said.

“We argued that … they were part of a humanitarian mission that aimed to provide humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza, and not to any other organisation, whether terrorist or not,” lawyer Hadeel Abu Salih told journalists after the court hearing.

“We deny all the accusations that were presented … and demand these two men be released immediately,” she said.

Spain’s government has called for Abu Keshek’s “immediate release”, the foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP, indicating the Spanish consul had accompanied Abu Keshek to the hearing.

Adalah’s lawyers had met the activists at Ashkelon’s Shikma Prison on Saturday.

They said Avila recounted being “subjected to extreme brutality” by Israeli forces when the vessels were seized, saying he was “dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice”.

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, it said.

Accused of Hamas ties

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” Hamas.

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

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.

Avila was one of the organisers of that flotilla, which was also intercepted by Israeli forces, with crew members — including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg – arrested and expelled.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

Throughout the Gaza war, there have been shortages of critical supplies in the Palestinian territory, with Israel at times cutting off aid entirely.