BARCELONA, Spain – Israeli authorities say they are taking two activists who led an aid flotilla bound for Gaza – and who were captured by Israel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea – to Israel for questioning.

The activists, Palestinian-Spanish citizen Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila, were among dozens of activists intercepted by the Israeli navy off the coast of Crete. They are members the Global Sumud Flotilla’s steering committee, whose mission was to break Israel’s naval blockade and bring some humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory.

kAmx? 2==[ D@>6 a_ 3@2ED 2?5 `fd 24E:G:DED H6C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82K2\:DC26=\A2=6DE:?:2?D\7=@E:==2\24E:G:DED\:?E6C46AE65\fc5h72e5eg7cg_h4b65_a_5b22d_fe_fQm:?E6C46AE65 3J E96 xDC26=: ?2GJk^2m] p4E:G:DED D2:5 xDC26=: 7@C46D DE@C>65 E96:C G6DD6=D[ D>2D965 6?8:?6D 2?5 56E2:?65 D@>6 @7 E9@D6 @?3@2C5] %96 :?4:56?E @44FCC65 9F?5C65D @7 >:=6D W<:=@>6E6CDX 7C@> v2K2 2?5 xDC26= @G6C?:89E 7C@> (65?6D52J E@ %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAmxDC26=: @77:4:2=D D2:5 E96J ?66565 E@ E2<6 62C=J 24E:@? 282:?DE E96 7=@E:==2 367@C6 :E C624965 xDC26=: H2E6CD 3642FD6 @7 E96 9:89 ?F>36C @7 3@2ED :?G@=G65]k^Am

kAm~? uC:52J E96 xDC26=: u@C6:8? |:?:DECJ D2:5 @? ) E92E :E H2D E2<:?8 E96 EH@ 24E:G:DED E@ xDC26= 7@C BF6DE:@?:?8[ 2?5 E92E p3F<6D96< H2D “DFDA64E65 @7 277:=:2E:@? H:E9 2 E6CC@C:DE @C82?:K2E:@?” 2?5 ÁG:=2 H2D “DFDA64E65 @7 :==682= 24E:G:EJ[Q H:E9@FE AC@G:5:?8 6G:56?46]k^Am

kAm%96 v=@32= $F>F5 u=@E:==2 2AA62=65 7@C :?E6C?2E:@?2= DFAA@CE] “(6 56>2?5 E92E 2== 8@G6C?>6?ED 5@ 2== E96J 42? E@ AC6DDFC6 E96 xDC26=: C68:>6 E@ C6=62D6 2== E96 :==682= 235F4E66D[Q E96 8C@FA D2:5 uC:52J]k^Am

kAm%96 C6DE @7 E96 7=@E:==2 A2CE:4:A2?ED H6C6 C6=62D65 😕 rC6E6 =2E6 %9FCD52J] ~7 E96 db G6DD6=D E92E 925 366? D2:=:?8 AC:@C E@ E96 :?E6C46AE:@?[ b` C624965 D276 H2E6CD 2?5 H@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 2EE6>AED E@ “3C62< E96 :==682= D:686 @7 v2K2[Q @C82?:K6CD D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 7=@E:==2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^8=@32=\DF>F5\7=@E:==2\82K2\2:5\DA2:?\:DC26=\hc3_hc`a7543`2_75e2e6_4hg`cfhdbhQmD6E D2:= 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 7C@> q2C46=@?2k^2m[ $A2:?] ~C82?:K6CD 92G6 D2:5 >@C6 E92? f_ 3@2ED 2?5 `[___ A6@A=6 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 H@F=5 36 A2CE:4:A2E:?8[ H:E9 >@C6 G6DD6=D ;@:?:?8 E96 @C:8:?2= 3@2ED 2D E96 7=@E:==2 D2:=65 62DE 24C@DD E96 |65:E6CC2?62?]k^Am

kAm%96 vC66< 7@C6:8? >:?:DECJ D2:5 %9FCD52J E92E :E 925 2D<65 xDC26= E@ H:E95C2H :ED D9:AD 7C@> E96 2C62 2?5 925 @776C65 :ED “8@@5 D6CG:46D” 7@C E96 24E:G:DED E@ 5:D6>32C< 😕 vC6646 2?5 36 C6A2EC:2E65]k^Am

kAm!C@E6DED 😕 D@=:52C:EJ H:E9 E96 7=@E:==2 6CFAE65 24C@DD D6G6C2= 42A:E2=D :?4=F5:?8 😕 #@>6[ pE96?D 2?5 xDE2?3F=]k^Am

kAm$A2:? 2?5 qC2K:= 92G6 ?@E J6E 4@>>6?E65 @? E96 56E6?E:@? 2?5 EC2?D76C E@ xDC26= @7 p3F<6D96< 2?5 ÁG:=2] qFE E96J D2:5 😕 2 ;@:?E DE2E6>6?E H:E9 D6G6C2= @E96C ?2E:@?D =2E6 %9FCD52J E92E xDC26=VD :?E6C46AE:@? @7 E96 7=@E:==2 2?5 56E6?E:@? @7 E96 24E:G:DED 😕 :?E6C?2E:@?2= H2E6CD “4@?DE:EFE6 7=28C2?E G:@=2E:@?D @7 :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H 2?5 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 9F>2?:E2C:2? =2H]Qk^Am

kAm%96 7=@E:==2’D =2E6DE 2EE6>AE E@ C6249 v2K2 4@>6D =6DD E92? 2 J62C 27E6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^82K2\7=@E:==2\:DC26=\24E:G:DED\E9F?36C8\4`g5676b2eb`f46c246f2`a4`3c6c3a6QmxDC26=: 2FE9@C:E:6D 7@:=65k^2m 2 AC6G:@FD 677@CE 3J E96 8C@FA] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:DC26=\82K2\7=@E:==2\:E2=J\DA2:?\___cc`haa422a4gg47fba_b6gb5b6e6aQm%92E 2EE6>AEk^2m :?G@=G65 23@FE d_ G6DD6=D 2?5 2C@F?5 d__ 24E:G:DED[ :?4=F5:?8 $H65:D9 4=:>2E6 24E:G:DE vC6E2 %9F?36C8[ }6=D@? |2?56=2’D 8C2?5D@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I?\\8C2?5D@?Ta_@7Ta_D@FE9Ta_27C:42DTa_7:CDETa_3=24<56/>

Á