Brussels, 08/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek has called for the release of European citizens who took part in the Freedom Waves flotilla to Gaza. Those held include Paul Murphy, MEP (GUE), arrested by the Israeli authorities on Friday 4 November, Robert Golanski, Jerzy Buzek's spokesman, told Agence Europe, on Monday 7 November. He added that Murphy will be released but said he was not familiar with all the aspects of the detention, and that extradition procedures are said to be in progress.
Of the 27 persons arrested, including Paul Murphy, 21 are still detained in Israel. The authorities refuse to allow them to leave the country unless they sign a “voluntary deportation” form. The activists, however, are refusing to do so stressing that it was not their intention to enter Israel but that they were taken there by the army.
Ireland's foreign minister, Eamon Gilmore, called on 5 November for those held to be released “as soon as possible”. The Irish ambassador to Israel is in permanent contact with the Israeli Foreign Ministry and has met the detainees on several occasions. The private office of the European Parliament president was contacted last weekend by the Israeli authorities to discuss compliance with rules of procedure, and the diplomatic mission in Israel is also working for the release of the prisoners, said Golanski.
In a press release on 6 November, the vice-president of the European Parliament's delegation for the Palestinian legislative council, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (GUE), had called on Jerzy Buzek to ensure that the activists arrested were not ill treated. In a brief telephone call, Paul Murphy announced that he had undergone ill treatment, explaining that the authorities sought to disorientate the prisoners through sleep deprivation. Also, their right to contact their families within 24 hours following arrest in line with Israeli law had been denied to them, he said. Maja Kocijancic, the spokeswoman for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton said on Monday 7 November that the EU is calling for the blockade of Gaza to be lifted, including the naval blockade. She also specified that assistance provided to the population of Gaza must be in line with the UN framework and decisions and must be careful not to compromise human safety. (CG/transl.jl)