Ten Malaysian delegates from the Sumud Nusantara Command Center were detained near the Greek island of Crete and later released at the port of Lerapetra, SNCC said. The group was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla mission aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza. [1]
SNCC director-general Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby confirmed the release of the Malaysian delegates. He said the 10 activists will accept the Turkish government's offer and board a flight to Istanbul. [1]
Three SNCC representatives were already in Istanbul to coordinate logistics and assess the situation, SNCC said. The group also said the next steps for the 10 activists will depend on their health and on a consensus between SNCC and the Global Sumud Flotilla. [1]
SNCC said two key Global Sumud Flotilla activists, Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avila, remained in Israeli custody. It also said some activists reported physical provocation, violent incidents that caused injuries and uncomfortable detention conditions. [1]
The Turkish-arranged flight from Heraklion Airport to Istanbul was scheduled to leave at 10:15pm local time on Saturday and arrive in Istanbul at 11:45pm Malaysian time. The aircraft had 160 seats and was also set to carry 20 Turkish citizens for repatriation, while 175 activists were initially held, SNCC said. [1]
