Tunisia: Hundreds Protest Detention of Gaza Aid Flotilla Activists

Hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated on Saturday, calling for the release of activists imprisoned on charges of "money laundering." The activists were arrested in March in connection with their organization of the "Flotilla of Steadfastness" maritime convoy aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The four activists, identified as Wael Nawara, Ghassan Bougdiri, Nabil Chennoufi, and Ghassan Henchiri, were detained while their group was preparing to organize a new flotilla, partially departing from Tunisia, which was later canceled.

"Flotilla of Steadfastness" condemned the arrests and is demanding their release. The group stated on Saturday that the health of the detained activists is rapidly deteriorating following their commencement of a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment. Bassam Tarifi, head of the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, described the case as politically motivated, labeling the activists as "prisoners of conscience and political prisoners." He added that attempts are being made to reduce the issue to mere financial mismanagement, despite the broad popular support for the Palestinian rights movement.

"Global Flotilla of Steadfastness" denounced the arrests as a "worrying shift from Tunisia's long history of popular solidarity with the Palestinian people." Ghassan Bouzi, an advocate for the activists' release, suggested their detention is part of a wider campaign targeting political figures, human rights defenders, and journalists, potentially influenced by "external pressure."

The "Global Flotilla of Steadfastness" describes its actions as a "non-violent response to genocide, siege, mass starvation, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza." Last year, the flotilla's ships docked in the Sidi Bou Said port in Tunis were targeted by two drones. Prior to reaching Gaza last year, the flotilla was intercepted by Israel, its boats seized, and its activists detained before being deported.