GREECE: Authorities fail to protect humanitarian activists on the Global Sumud Flotilla 

On 30 April, Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla off the coast of Crete. The flotilla, with over 50 vessels and 345 participants from 39 nationalities, including numerous EU member states, departed from Marseille, Barcelona, and Syracuse to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The action, organised openly by the international flotilla movement, is a democratic, peaceful, and legitimate form of civic engagement. It was subjected to assaults, vessel seizures, and the forced removal of hundreds of activists from more than 20 boats, more than 965 km from the Gaza Strip.  

While the flotilla crew repeated distress signals, Greece’s coast guard reportedly did not initiate rescue operations, despite the clear legal obligation of Greek authorities to protect persons in distress within their Search and Rescue zone. Vessels carrying humanitarian aid retain protected status under international humanitarian law. 

The Global Sumud Flotilla reported that the activists were subjected to physical violence, mistreatment and injured during the interception, including beatings, and denial of food and water. Following the interception, the majority of the detained activists were taken to the port of Atherinolakkos on the Greek island. However, two key figures from the mission, a Palestinian-Spanish citizen, Saif Abu Keshek, and a Brazilian citizen, Thiago Ávila, were taken from a vessel flying under the Italian flag to Israel and accused of affiliation with a terrorist organisation and illegal activity. While the other activists were later released in Greece, the detention of Abu Keshek and Ávila raises severe concerns about Israel’s attack on human rights defenders. 

The Greek authorities’ failure to comply with their obligations under international and EU law is extremely concerning, both in terms of a EU member state’s full compliance with the principles of the rule of law and in terms of the protection of EU citizens within its territory. Likewise, the Italian authorities’ inaction regarding the illegal detention of the members of the flotilla from the Italian-flagged vessel and failure to hold accountable the foreign force that unlawfully violated Italy’s vessel raises concerns. 

According to international human rights groups, the failure of the Greek authorities to intervene breaches fundamental civic freedoms, the right to humanitarian action, and the state’s obligation to protect civil society and human rights defenders. Furthermore, the UN human rights office called on Israel to immediately release the detained members of the flotilla, stating that humanitarian aid missions and solidarity with Palestinians are legitimate civic actions.