Amnesty praises expected release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists

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Amnesty International has praised the expected release of two activists detained by Israeli authorities during an intercept of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Calls for justice continue as many remain detained under oppressive conditions.

Amnesty praises expected release of Global Sumud Flotilla activists Amnesty International official Erika Guevara Rosas has welcomed reports that Israel intends to release two activists seized from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla. The activists, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, were detained after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla on 29 April and taken to Israel, where they later alleged abuse while in custody. “According to Sally Issa, Saif’s wife, the release is imminent, bringing a sense of hope after days of unlawful detention and abuse by Israeli authorities,” Rosas said in a post on X. She added that the expected release of the two activists “does not amount to justice”, arguing that thousands of Palestinians remain arbitrarily detained under what she described as an apartheid system in which “human rights defence is criminalised and solidarity is punished”. Reports that Saif Abu Keshek, a Palestinian activist of Spanish‑Swedish nationality, and Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian human rights defender, both part of the @gbsumudflotilla, will be released are welcome news. pic.twitter.com/vOniHdmNEV May 9, 2026