KUALA LUMPUR: All 23 Malaysians held by the Israeli military (IDF) are safe and healthy, and talks are underway to bring them home.
Another five volunteers and one from Brunei, who did not manage to join the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), have arrived safely in Malaysia.
Lawyers appointed through Adalah organisation, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, have met the captured volunteers and have begun the process of representing them, said Sumud Nusantara Command Centre director-general Datuk Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby.
“The lawyers have already met the Malaysians and reported that they are safe and healthy. They have started consultations to represent the delegates,” he told reporters yesterday.
Sani Araby said that so far, no official demand has been made by Israel against Malaysia.
“They are now in the negotiation phase (to secure the release) and hopefully it will be expedited. The next phase will be to bring them back to Malaysia.”
Sani Araby added that efforts to secure the release of those detained are being carried out at the highest levels by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in coordination with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatari authorities, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other friendly nations.
He said after discussions between Anwar and Erdogan, Turkiye had agreed to facilitate the release of detainees.
“This negotiation process will see Malaysian and Turkish volunteers brought to Istanbul before the Malaysians come home. Two more Malaysians are now in Amman, Jordan to assist the legal team,” he said.
It has been reported that five lawyers, who are also human rights legal activists from Malaysia, are also in Amman.
Sani said he has met family members of the detained Malaysian volunteers.
“We placed all of them at a hotel where they are anxiously awaiting good news.”
In a statement on Thursday, Adalah said it had received phone calls from detained GSF volunteers who said immigration authorities had already begun hearings on their deportation and detention orders.
“The proceedings were initiated without prior notice to their lawyers and while denying participants access to legal counsel.
“This constitutes a grave violation of due process and a denial of participants’ fundamental rights,” Adalah said, adding that it continues to seek access to the GSF volunteers.
