Over 80 lawmakers from Türkiye and several European countries issued a joint appeal Tuesday, demanding the immediate release of activists unlawfully held by Israel following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla – a humanitarian convoy that sought to deliver food and medical aid to Gaza, as well as guarantees of medical care, legal counsel and consular access.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla did not carry weapons – it carried hope,” the statement, signed by, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament said, describing the flotilla as a peaceful humanitarian convoy of volunteers, journalists, lawmakers and aid workers en route to Gaza when it was intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters on Oct. 1.
The lawmakers condemned the “unlawful assault and abduction of civilians at sea,” urging the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and all governments to ensure the detainees’ immediate release and to launch an independent international investigation into the incident.
Among the signatories are Members of European Parliament, Members of Parliament from Türkiye and several European countries, who are represented in Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.
