Court remands 2 flotilla activists until Sunday; lawyer claims one was on fishing trip

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila have second hearing at Ashkelon Magistrate’s court; legal representative for Avila claims he never planned to break Gaza blockade

An Israeli court extended the detention of two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla until Sunday, according to police and their lawyers, as authorities continued to question the pair.

Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared Tuesday before the Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court for their second hearing, after they were brought to Israel for questioning last week after naval forces inteercepted several boats from the flotilla.

“The court approved their detention until Sunday morning,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the Israeli rights group Adalah, which represents the detainees, told AFP.

Police said the court accepted their request for a five-day remand extension, adding that not all the suspected offenses are related to the flotilla.

Adalah said it would appeal the extension of the remand.

A lawyer for Avila claimed in court that he hadn’t been on his way to Gaza, but rather had been on a fishing journey to Greece, according to Hebrew media.

The flotilla’s vessels, with 170 activists, had set sail from France, Spain, and Italy with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza. The Israeli Navy intercepted the flotilla, comprising 58 boats, overnight between Wednesday and Thursday off the coast of Crete, hundreds of nautical miles (over 1,000 kilometers) from Israel. With the exception of Avila and Abu Keshek, all the activists were freed on Friday in Greece.

Israel’s foreign ministry says both individuals were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group accused by Washington of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” Palestinian terror group Hamas.

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

At their first hearing on Sunday, the court extended their detention by two days. At the second hearing on Tuesday, both appeared with their legs shackled.

Adalah said the two activists were on hunger strike, with Tuesday their sixth day of protest.

On Monday, the rights group alleged the pair had been subjected to physical and psychological abuse in detention.

Both Abu Keshek and Avila are being held in isolation, with “high-intensity lighting” on at all times in their cells, Adalah said, adding that Avila was being held in “extremely cold temperatures.”

“They are kept blindfolded at all times whenever they are moved outside their cells, including during medical examinations,” it said.

Israeli authorities have rejected the abuse claims.

At Sunday’s hearing, Adalah said the state attorney had presented a list of offences the pair were accused of, 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 there had been an “unlawful abduction” of the two activists in international waters.

Spain has rejected the Israeli accusation against Abu Keshek.

The latest attempt to reach Gaza comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled the previous effort by the group. Participants, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, detained on those flotillas were questioned in Israel before later being deported.

Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the flotillas as publicity stunts, saying they brought insignificant amounts of aid.