11.06.2025 01:04
The lawyer of the activists on the Madleen boat, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and was detained by Israel in international waters, Lubna Tuma, stated, "In the documents presented to the activists by Israel, there was a clause requiring them to admit that they had entered Israel illegally. The activists did not consent to this, and many of them refused to accept it."
A humanitarian aid ship heading to Gaza, Madleen, has sent four of the twelve human rights activists detained back to their countries. Eight activists who refused to sign the "deportation documents" were brought before a judge today at the immigration court in the Givon prison in Ramle.
"ACTIVISTS DID NOT CONSENT TO THIS"
Lubna Tuma, a lawyer from the Israeli legal organization Adalah, stated after the hearing representing the seven activists that the hearing took place and they were waiting for a decision. Tuma shared that the activists, who were transferred directly to Ben Gurion Airport after being brought to Israel, were offered deportation by signing a document. She said, "A document was presented claiming that they consented to be deported without appearing before a judge. The document included a statement admitting that they entered Israel illegally. The activists did not consent to this, and many of them did not accept it."
"THEY DID NOT ENTER ISRAEL, THEY WERE FORCIBLY BROUGHT IN"
Tuma pointed out that Israel detained the Madleen ship in international waters and stated: "As Adalah and the activists, we believe that the seizure of the fleet is illegal from a legal perspective. We argued this in today's hearing as well. The law we refer to as the entry law to Israel can only be applied if a person enters Israel of their own free will. For these activists, this situation is completely different; they were dragged here against their will, which means they were kidnapped to Israel. Therefore, this law cannot be applied. They did not enter Israel; they were forcibly brought in. Similarly, they were taken from international waters; they were not detained in Israeli territorial waters."
"ISRAEL INCREASED ITS 'COMPLICITY' IN THE FAMINE IN GAZA"
Tuma indicated that the fleet aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and noted that Israel was obstructing this, evaluating that the Tel Aviv administration has increased its "complicity" in the famine situation here.
"THEY WERE HELD UNDER THE SCORCHING SUN ALL DAY"
Despite being detained at night, Tuma shared that the human rights activists were held under the scorching sun all day, stating that her clients' health was good and that they had discussed their nutrition and whether they had been subjected to violence.