Activists of 'Hanzala' Continue Hunger Strike... Testimonies of Violence and Harsh Detention Conditions

SadaNews - Today, Monday, sessions were held before the Israeli Immigration Court at the "Givon" facility in Ramla, to review the files of 14 international activists who were detained after the Israeli navy intercepted the "Hanzala" ship that was en route to the Gaza Strip, according to what the "Adalah Center" reported in a press briefing after the sessions concluded.

The center clarified that all the detainees refused to sign what is called "voluntary deportation," and they continue an open hunger strike in protest against their forced detention. Lawyers from the center represented the detainees in court, confirming that the sessions lasted from 09:30 AM to 04:00 PM, as part of the legal efforts to "stop the illegal detention and ensure their rights."

Several activists provided shocking testimonies in court, including American activist Christian Smalls, who spoke about "suffering severe physical violence at the hands of Israeli forces," while other detained women reported being deprived of humane conditions in prison, including "lack of ventilation in extreme heat, and absence of basic sanitary supplies for women."

The center pointed out that activists including Angie Sahouki (France), Dr. Frank Romano (holder of both American and French citizenship), and Santiago Gonzalez Vallejo (Spain), faced intense pressure yesterday, Sunday, which prevented them from meeting with their lawyers, leading to their forced waiver of this right, before communication with them was allowed today.

"Adalah" noted that the Israeli court does not consider the legality of the deportation, but only the extension of their detention until the time of executing the forced deportation, which gives the authorities a wide margin to continue holding them despite the absence of any actual legal justification, a tactic previously used with the activists of the "Madaline" ship, and is now being repeated with the crew of "Hanzala."

The center affirmed that "the abduction of civilian activists from international waters and their forced transfer to Israel constitutes a blatant violation of international law," stressing its ongoing legal demands for their immediate release, and their "right to humanitarian work."

In this context, the center highlighted the continued diplomatic visits from representatives of the French and Australian embassies to their detained citizens, demanding that "legal visits be allowed daily until their release."

According to the latest update, in recent hours, a number of activists have been deported, including Antonio Mazzio (Italy), Gabriel Cathala (France), Jacob Berger (USA), in addition to Al Jazeera journalists Wadi Al-Mousa and Muhammad Al-Buqali. Also, American activists Howaida Arafa and Robert Bob Sabri were released yesterday evening.

"Adalah" concluded the briefing by asserting that the activists "confirmed during their appearance before the court that they came to the region for humanitarian reasons, attempting to break the illegal blockade on Gaza amid a genocide that has continued for more than 22 months, and an unprecedented famine that has claimed the lives of dozens of children."