New testimony has disclosed that two international activists abducted by Israeli forces after the humanitarian Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla was intercepted in international waters earlier this week have suffered torture, beatings, and medical neglect.
According to a statement by the Global Sumud Flotilla, Israeli forces abducted the pro-Palestinian campaigners near Crete, and then transferred them to Shikma Prison in the city of Ashkelon in the southern part of the occupied territories.
The abductees, identified as Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Ávila, remain in custody without charges.
The Brazilian embassy said in a statement that Ávila showed visible injuries during a monitored visit. Diplomats said he described torture, beatings, and severe pain, especially in his shoulder.
The activist could not speak freely during the visit, as Israeli prison officials separated him from embassy staff by glass.
The embassy also raised concerns over his medical condition.
Even though a doctor examined him, officials said he did not receive proper treatment.
The Brazilian government has demanded immediate medical care and clarification on the legal basis for his detention.
Ávila has reportedly gone on a hunger strike since his abduction and is drinking only water.
He has not received any formal charges, and his legal team has not yet secured full access to his case. Abukeshek has also started a hunger strike.
According to the aid flotilla group, he sustained severe abuse while detained aboard the Israeli military vessel before his transfer to prison.
The two men were the only pro-Palestinian activists not released after the interception of the flotilla and their subsequent abduction.
Their continued detention has raised concerns about arbitrary detention and violations of international law, including the prohibition of torture.
The Global Sumud Flotilla criticized European governments for their failure to act to protect the activists despite legal obligations.
It stated that European authorities allowed the forced transfer of civilians from international waters into Israeli custody.
The group urged the governments of Spain, Sweden, and Brazil to adopt immediate diplomatic measures to secure the release of their nationals. It also called on international organizations and human rights bodies to intervene immediately.
Late on Wednesday, Israeli forces attacked 22 out of the 58 aid boats travelling through international waters and bound for the besieged Gaza Strip.
The vessels make up part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla that has tried in recent months to break an Israeli blockade by carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. They sailed from the Spanish port of Barcelona on April 12.
The boats were seized off Greece’s Peloponnese Peninsula, hundreds of miles from Gaza.
The Sumud Flotilla stated in a statement that thirty-one activists were wounded in the Israeli assault.
The case of injured pro-Palestinian activists has shed light on detention practices under Israeli custody, especially as thousands of Palestinians remain held without charge.
Rights groups have long documented reports of abuse, including torture and denial of due process under Israeli custody.
Source:Websites
