Israel to deport rest of Madleen crew arrested in international waters
The Madleen set sail for Gaza on June 1 with the aim of delivering much needed aid and breaking Israel's naval blockade on the enclave.
Early on Monday morning, Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen while it was in international waters, seizing the ship and detaining the activists on board.
The 12 crew members were then detained and were asked to sign orders consenting to their deportation.
READ MORE: I helped the Madleen set sail for Gaza – let's not lose sight of why we did it
Only four – Swedish climate and social justice campaigner Greta Thunberg, along with French physician Baptiste Andre, Spanish activist Sergio Toribio and French Al-Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad – agreed, and were deported soon after.
The remaining eight activists refused and remained in detention, where they then appeared in front of an Israeli tribunal.
Adalah, a local human rights group representing the activists, said six crew members are expected to be deported either later on Thursday or Friday morning, with the remaining two set to be deported on Friday.
Those set to be released on Thursday include Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian member of the European parliament, along with Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, Dutch marine engineering student Mark van Rennes, Turkish activist Suayb Ordu, French activist Reva Viard and German activist Yasemin Acar.
The two remaining crew members – French activist Pascal Maurieras and French journalist Yanis Mhamdi – are set to be deported on Friday, Adalah said.
Both Adalah and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the humanitarian organisation which co-ordinated the Madleen, have said that the crew members were subjected to "mistreatment, punitive measures, and aggressive treatment".
Two of the activists – Avila and Hassan – were also placed in solitary confinement, where they reported poor conditions, with a lack of light and ventilation.
READ MORE: Convoy of 1500 arrives in Libya en route to Gaza to break Israel's blockade on aid
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Hassan was placed in solitary confinement after writing "Free Palestine" on her cell wall. It is understood that she is no longer in solitary confinement, but it is not clear at the time of writing whether Avila has also been moved.
Both individuals were also reported to have gone on hunger strike.
Israel has declined to comment on the treatment of the activists, but claimed it treats detainees in a lawful manner and investigates any allegations of abuse.
Israel's foreign ministry has attempted to depict the Madleen's journey as a "publicity stunt", branding the ship a "celebrity yacht" and claiming the crew were attempting to illegally enter Israel.
The activists have rejected this and have said they were "kidnapped" and brought to Israel against their will.
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