By Nor Fariza Mohd Razhi
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- Five Malaysian human rights lawyers are currently in Amman, Jordan, to ensure transparent and fair legal protection for Malaysian delegates of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) detained by Israeli forces.
One of them, Dir Kheizwan Kamaruddin, said the team will represent the detained Malaysians and coordinate with ADALAH, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, and international lawyers to manage legal proceedings.
“Yes, we are still handling legal matters and will soon visit the Malaysian Embassy in Jordan. The detained Malaysians will most likely be deported through Jordan.
“We are prepared for any scenario, including possible deportation via Egypt, and will proceed there if necessary,” he told Bernama today.
The other lawyers involved include Fahmi Abd Moin, Azril Mohd Amin, Ahmad Nazrin Abu Bakar, and Luqman Mazlan.
Fahmi explained that the presence of the lawyers from the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (CENTHRA) aims to protect the legal rights and interests of Malaysians participating in the GSF humanitarian mission, especially in the event of detention.
“There are several possible outcomes, such as being taken to Israeli ports for immigration processing before being repatriated via the Malaysian embassies in Amman or Cairo, Egypt.
“They may also face detention for up to 72 hours under Israeli immigration law, or longer if classified as terrorists,” Fahmi said, noting that their legal team arrived in Amman yesterday.
He added that they will maintain close communication with the human rights legal group ADALAH to ensure all legal procedures are followed and Malaysians’ rights are safeguarded, particularly as Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Meanwhile, CENTHRA, in a statement, strongly condemned Israel’s aggressive actions against the GSF, describing them as clear violations of international law.
It said Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is illegal under the San Remo Manual (Article 102) as it harms civilians and blocks humanitarian aid.
The statement cited the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 ruling that Israel’s occupation is unlawful and called on all countries to uphold international humanitarian law and the Palestinian right to self-determination.
“This flotilla mission is purely peaceful and humanitarian, exercising the right of freedom of navigation under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 87). Israel’s interception and detention of the flotilla breaches international maritime law.
“As an unlawful occupying power, Israel is obligated to ensure food and medicine supplies reach Gaza (under the Fourth Geneva Convention & Additional Protocol I). But instead, Israel continues to use starvation as a weapon of war, a crime underpinning International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
“Israel’s actions also endanger the lives of the flotilla passengers, violating their rights to life, liberty, and security,” the statement read.
CENTHRA also demands that Israel immediately release all GSF activists, return all vessels, and pay compensation to all victims and shipowners. It also urges local and international civil society to take urgent action to stop Israel’s violations, including the genocide in Gaza.
According to the official flotilla tracker, 21 vessels were attacked by Israeli naval forces, with at least 317 activists from various nationalities detained so far.
-- BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
