Gaza march organizers report abuse in Egypt and Libya

Organizers of the Global March to Gaza, which drew 4,000 participants from 80 countries, claim three activists were detained and mistreated in Egypt, according to Reuters.

The three men involved in the march were reportedly seized by plainclothes Egyptian officers at a café in Cairo. The detainees were allegedly blindfolded, beaten, and interrogated. Two of them - Norwegian nationals - were later deported, while the third man, Saif Abukeshek — a Spanish citizen of Palestinian origin — is said to remain in custody.

“We call on Egyptian authorities to immediately release Saif Abukeshek and all detained march participants,” stated organizers of the march, which seeks to raise awareness of Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

Egyptian officials denied reports of abuse to Reuters but confirmed around 400 activists have been deported, with 30 still in custody awaiting deportation. Organizers of the march say they have suspended their plans to reach the Rafah border crossing to comply with Egypt’s requirement to obtain prior approval due to regional security concerns.

Meanwhile, another convoy of activists from North Africa faced obstacles en route to Gaza. Protesters departing Tunisia were blocked in eastern Libya by forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, Middle East Eye reports. Organizers allege these forces prevented delivery of food, water, and medicine to the approximately 1,500 participants. They have since retreated to western Libya.

Haftar’s troops have also been accused of detaining bloggers, denying them contact with families and lawyers, and assaulting and robbing one of the march’s main organizers.