Two Gaza flotilla activists appear in Israeli court after interception
Two activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla have appeared before an Israeli court after being brought to Israel for questioning, according to the rights group representing them.
Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila were taken to Ashkelon after Israeli forces intercepted a flotilla of more than 50 vessels in international waters off Greece early on Thursday.
Israel said it had removed about 175 activists in the operation, with two taken to Israel for interrogation.
The court appearance came as the state sought to extend their detention by four days, Adalah said.
The group said its lawyers had met the two men at Shikma Prison in Ashkelon on Saturday.
The case has drawn attention because it combines the interception of a large aid convoy with allegations of mistreatment in custody.
The flotilla had sailed from France, Spain and Italy with the stated aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian supplies.
Adalah said Avila told lawyers he had been subjected to extreme brutality when the vessels were seized, including being dragged face-down across the floor and beaten so severely that he passed out twice.
He also said he had been kept in isolation and blindfolded after arriving in Israel.
The group said Abu Keshek was hand-tied and blindfolded and forced to lie face-down on the floor from the moment of his seizure until reaching Israel.
The activists' account has not been independently verified in the supplied material.
Israel's foreign ministry said the two men were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, or PCPA, which Washington has accused of clandestinely acting on behalf of Hamas.
