SEPANG: Malaysian humanitarian activist Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman confirmed that the activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) who were detained by the Israeli military began arriving at the port of Ashdod, Israel, on Thursday (Oct 2).
Leading the Sumud Nusantara contingent, he said that the GSF legal team had started contacting them to provide legal aid following the detentions.
“Insha-Allah (God willing), the Sumud heroes and heroines who were captured have started arriving at the occupation port in Ashdod. GSF lawyers have started contacting them to provide legal services.
“At the very earliest, we will share their developments tomorrow (Oct 3) morning. In the meantime, keep up the action!” said the chief executive officer of Cinta Gaza Malaysia (CGM) in a statement on Facebook Thursday night.
Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri and three other Malaysian volunteers remain in the Mediterranean Sea aboard a vessel called Jong Melayu, which serves as an observation boat.
Earlier, the Wisma Putra announced that all 23 Malaysians detained by Israel while participating in the GSF humanitarian aid mission on Thursday are safe and healthy and will be repatriated via a third country.
The detained Malaysians are singer Heliza Helmi and her sister Nur Hazwani Afiqah (aboard the Hio vessel); Nurfarahin Romli (Farah Lee) and Danish Nazran Murad (aboard the Grande Blu vessel); singer Zizi Kirana (aboard the Huga vessel); Musa Nuwayri, Iylia Balqis and Sul Aidil (aboard the Alma vessel); Haikal Abdullah, Muaz Zainal, Zulfadhli Khiduddin and Rusydi Ramli (aboard the Sirius vessel).
Also detained are Razali Awang (aboard the Inana vessel); influencer Nurul Hidayah Mohd Amin, better known as Ardell Aryana (aboard the Mikeno vessel); PU Rahmat, Norhelmi Ab Ghani, Mohd Asmawi Mukhtar, Norazman Ishak (aboard the Estrella vessel); Zainal Rashid and Ustaz Muhammad (aboard the Fair Lady vessel) as well as Muhammad Hareez Adzrami, better known as Haroqs, Muhd Haikal Luqman Zulkefli and Taufiq Mohd Razif (aboard the Free Willy vessel).
Meanwhile, five lawyers, who are also human rights legal activists from Malaysia, are currently in Amman, Jordan, to ensure the Malaysian delegates detained by the Israeli regime during the GSF mission receive transparent and fair legal protection.
In a statement Thursday, Adalah said it had received phone calls from detained GSF volunteers who said that immigration authorities had already begun hearings on their deportations and detention orders.
“These proceedings were initiated without prior notice to their lawyers and while denying participants access to legal counsel.
“This constitutes a grave violation of due process and a denial of participants’ fundamental rights,” Adalah said in the statement, adding that it continues to seek access to the GSF volunteers and will take legal action as necessary.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian High Commission in Amman, Jordan, said it is closely monitoring development involving the GSF mission, especially volunteers who have been detained by the Israeli revime.
“We have met with the Malaysian legal team in Amman to ensure that Malaysian detainees will receive fair and transparent legal representation,” it said in a consular notice Thuesday.
The High Commission said it was also in contact with its counterparts from Asean in Amman and Tel Aviv to get the latest information on the Malaysian captives and extend the necessary consular aid.
The lawyers involved are Dir Kheizwan Kamaruddin, Fahmi Abd Moin, Azril Mohd Amin, Ahmad Nazrin Abu Bakar and Luqman Mazlan.
The legal team will represent the detained Malaysian delegation and liaise with lawyers from The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah), based in Israel, in addition to cooperating with international lawyers for the related legal process.
The GSF mission, which included over 500 activists from 44 countries, including Malaysia, sailed towards Gaza as a symbol of solidarity and an effort to break the Israeli blockade, carrying essential supplies for the Palestinian residents affected by the continuous Zionist attacks.
The humanitarian mission garnered global attention as it was also joined by international figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg, Hollywood actors Susan Sarandon and Liam Cunningham, former Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, four Italian Members of Parliament, and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela.
The GSF voyage traversed the Mediterranean Sea carrying food supplies, medicine, and a message of peace urging the cessation of war and the starvation crisis, besides demanding the opening of humanitarian corridor access to Gaza. – Bernama
