Around 430 activists detained after the Israeli navy intercepted their humanitarian flotilla in international waters will be deported to Turkey on Thursday, as a pro-Palestine group calls a solidarity rally in Limassol.
Global Sumud Flotilla Cyprus said Israeli forces intercepted vessels of the flotilla twice within Cyprus’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone, firing rubber bullets at civilians during the second incident. The organisation said multiple distress calls were made but went unanswered.
Global Sumud Flotilla Cyprus claimed that multiple distress calls were made during the interceptions but went unanswered.
The organisation said President Nikos Christodoulides denied receiving any distress signals, attributing this to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre never having been alerted — a claim the organisation said was contradicted by activist testimonies and independent maritime monitors.
The group accused Cyprus authorities of failing to respond adequately to the incidents within the country’s own designated SAR zone.
The protest gathering is scheduled for Limassol Castle on Thursday, May 21, at 7pm.
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