Israel court extends detention of two Gaza flotilla activists; lawyers say pair subjected to 'severe physical abuse'

An Israeli court on Sunday extended for two days the detention of two foreign activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla, who were brought to Israel for questioning, a rights group representing them said. The flotilla of more than 50 vessels had set sail from France, Spain and Italy to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and bring supplies to the devastated Palestinian territory. They were intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Greece early on Thursday, with Israel saying it had removed some 175 activists — two of whom were taken to Israel for questioning. Spanish national Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian Thiago Avila appeared before a court in the southern city of Ashkelon on Sunday. AFP footage showed the pair being escorted into the courtroom, with Avila walking with his hands behind his back and Abu Keshek’s feet in shackles. “The court extended their detention by two days,” Miriam Azem, international advocacy coordinator at the rights group Adalah, told AFP. Adalah said the state attorney had presented a list of suspected offences authorities said the pair was accused of committing, including “assisting the enemy during wartime” and “membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation”. But Adalah’s lawyers challenged the state’s jurisdiction, arguing against the “unlawful abduction” of the two activists in international waters. Its lawyers told the court Avila and Abu Keshek had testified to “severe physical abuse amounting to torture, including being beaten and held in isolation and blindfolded for days at sea”. Call for swift release Israel’s foreign ministry rejected accusations that the men were subjected to physical violence. “Contrary to the false and baseless claims prepared in advance, at no point were Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago vila subjected to torture,” ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein told AFP. “Following violent physical obstruction by Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago vila against Israeli staff members, staff were compelled to act