Brazil calls for release of activists detained en route to Gaza
The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Monday morning (Jun. 9), after Israel intercepted the Madleen humanitarian aid ship bound for Gaza on Sunday (8) and detained 12 activists, including Brazilian national Thiago Ávila.
“Recalling the principle of freedom of navigation in international waters, Brazil urges the Israeli government to release the detained crew ,” the statement read.
The Brazilian statement also reinforces “the need for Israel to immediately lift all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Palestinian territory, in accordance with its obligations as an occupying power.”
The vessel, which aimed to establish a channel for transporting food and medicine to the Gaza Strip, belongs to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an organization involved in international humanitarian efforts that campaigns to end Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza.
Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian environmentalist, is the coordinator of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. He was aboard the humanitarian aid vessel along with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and ten other advocates.
The vessel was intercepted shortly after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that he had instructed the military to prevent it from reaching Gaza. In his statement, he also said the crew would be escorted and subsequently deported.
The Brazilian Ministry's statement noted that embassies in the region remain on alert to provide consular assistance if necessary, in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and international law.
