KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians who were part of the intercepted Global Sumud Flotilla and being held by the Israel are safe and healthy.
Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) director-general Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby said lawyers from Adalah, the legal centre for Arab minority rights in Israel, have met those captured.
"The lawyers met the Malaysians detained and reported that they are safe and healthy.
"They have started the consultation to represent the activists," he told reporters on Friday (Oct 3).
Sany said they were in negotiations, which is expected to take about 48 hours.
"Hopefully the negotiation phase will be expedited. The next phase will be efforts to bring them back to Malaysia," he said.
Sani also confirmed that five Malaysians and a Brunei national who did not join the voyage of the flotilla safely arrived in Malaysia on Thursday (Oct 2).
"They will be placed at the SNCC for the negotiation phase.
"Two more Malaysians are currently in Amman, Jordan to assist the appointed legal team.
He also said he had met the family members of the detained Malaysian activists.
"We placed them in a hotel and are being given thorough support, especially the children.
"They are anxiously waiting for good news," he added.
Sani said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given his assurance that he, along with the Foreign Minister and other Cabinet members, are committed to spearhead the effort to free the captured Malaysians.
It was reported that the five lawyers, who are also human rights legal activists from Malaysia, are currently in Amman, Jordan, to ensure the Malaysians in the flotilla detained by Israeli receive fair legal protection.
In a statement on Thursday, Adalah said it had received phone calls from detained GSF volunteers who said that Israeli immigration authorities had already begun hearings on deportations and detention orders.
"These proceedings were initiated without prior notice to lawyers while denying participants' access to legal counsel.
"This constitutes a grave violation of due process and a denial of participants' fundamental rights," Adalah said in the statement, adding that it continues to seek access to the GSF volunteers and will take legal action as necessary.
