Arab legal group in Israel demands access to detained M'sian activists

Israel-based NGO the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) is demanding access to all activists intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces earlier today.

In a statement, the group said it has written to Israeli authorities, offering legal representation to all participants of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).

“Adalah will challenge the unlawful detention and the confiscation of the ships and aid,” Adalah said.

It added that before communication was lost early this morning, participants aboard Conscience - mostly doctors, nurses, and journalists - reported being attacked by an Israeli military helicopter, while naval forces intercepted and boarded the Thousands Madleen sailboat.

A spokesperson told Malaysiakini that as of 3pm Malaysian time, all detained activists, including nine Malaysians, had yet to arrive at Israel’s Ashdod port.

The FFC mission included eight Malaysian representatives aboard Conscience, which departed Porto Otranto, Italy, on Sept 30.

They include mission leader Mohd Alauddin, doctors Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, and Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi; lecturers Mohd Afandi Salleh and Noorhasyimah Ismail; MyCare Board of Trustees member Norsham Abu Bakar; and Astro Awani journalist Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil.

Another Malaysian, Maziah Muhammad, is on board the Umm Saad, which departed Catania, Sicily, on Sept 27 along with seven other vessels bound for Gaza.

Earlier today, Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCare) - the lead organisation for the nine-member Malaysian delegation - said the nine vessels were intercepted in international waters at 10.50am Malaysian time.

Constant M’sian participation

Separately, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) urged organisers of the FFC to seek out Malaysian lawyers who previously assisted Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists who were similarly detained and returned to a heroes’ welcome at KLIA last night.

Mapim president Azmi Abdul Hamid said the legal process must be expedited to safeguard the Malaysian participants, warning that Israeli forces are becoming “increasingly desperate” amid growing international scrutiny.

“We need to do it very fast, as we did for the GSF. It seems Malaysian participation will be almost constant because many activists want to join. So the legal team must always be there - sort out bureaucratic matters and focus on keeping them safe.

“It’s only right that the mandate should be given. This is again a repetition of a (similar) situation. So it’s only proper that they should get legal assistance.

“We are calling for the organiser to quickly respond to the Malaysian lawyers or whoever is able to handle the case, for them to be given the mandate (for legal representation), verbally or in writing,” Azmi said in Kuala Lumpur today.

Human rights lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin confirmed that a legal team from the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra) currently has no mandate to assist the nine Malaysians detained.

The five-member legal team had earlier represented the 23 GSF activists, who returned last night, after they were similarly kidnapped from international waters and detained by Israeli forces.

Following the return of the GSF activists, Azmi today said Mapim would continue supporting broader flotilla efforts to maintain global attention on Gaza’s blockade and sustain diplomatic pressure on Israel.

He also proposed forming a Global Flotilla Coordination Council to synchronise regional efforts under a unified humanitarian and legal framework.

Freedom Flotilla with 9 M'sians intercepted by Israel this morning

M'sian GSF crew keen to continue aid missions for Palestine

All 23 M'sian Sumud Flotilla activists arrive home safely

Flotilla volunteers recount abuse while in Israeli custody