Mariana Mortágua, Sofia Aparício and Miguel Duarte detained by Israel. Intercepted humanitarian flotilla

The Navy of Israel intercepted the boats with humanitarian aid intended for the Gaza Strip where Mariana Mortágua, Sofia Aparício and Miguel Duarte were following; and stopped the Portuguese. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa confirms, with the government, consular support.

Israel began to intercep Humanitarian flotilha boats to Gaza, at the end of this Thursday.

According to, who had a journalist aboard one of the vessels, the mission members began to be not communicated, since, before interceptions, the protocol predicts that mobile phones are thrown into water.

Official source of the humanitarian flotilha in Portugal, quoted by, confirmed, near 20h, that the barco Where it followed the Portuguese Sofia Aparício (Sirius) had been intercepted. But it was not the only one.

All detained Portuguese

In direct from, Mariana Mortágua reported that the boat (Adara) in which it followed was also approached, forcing it to throw the water mobile phone.

Before a “Put your hands on the air”; while Mortágua explained what was happening to them: “They are throwing ourselves with water cannons and ask to talk to the captain. ”

The Leader of the Left Block It was eventually detained, like Sofia Aparício.

The information was advanced by Joana Mortágua, on her Instagram channel, where she says that there were no signs of Miguel Duarte. Later, in statements to News, was Fabian Figueiredo confirming that the activist was also arrested.

“They are incommunicable”said Joana Mortágua on RTP3, around 8:40 pm, accusing Israel of having detained innocents and breaking their communication in international waters.

Israel speaks of “active combat zone”

While Joana Mortágua speaks of “illegal detention” in an international water zone. Israel justifies that interception was done because it is a navigation in “Active Combat Zone”.

A Israeli Navy ordered the boats to change coursesaid the Ministry of Israelite Foreign Affairs, while the More than 40 boats they sailed off Egypt and approached the coast.

“The Israeli Navy came into contact with the Hamas-Sumud Flotilha and asked them to change their way,” the Israeli authorities wrote that accuse the Global Sumud flotilha to be funded by the Palestinian Islamite group Hamas.

“Israel informed the fleet that approached an active combat zone and that was violate a legal naval blockade. Israel reiterated the offer of transferring all help peacefully to safe channels to Gaza, ”added the message posted on Israeli diplomacy.

At RTP3, the specialist Joana Ricarte explained that this risk zone is a “Perimeter illegally established by the State of Israel”.

“The UN has a convention of maritime law that establishes that a state has the right to make interceptions and seizures to only 12 nautical miles from its coast; and here the vessels would be 70 miles of Gaza. Far from this jurisdiction“He adds.

Detained Portuguese will have consular support

At the beginning of the night, the President of the Republic, MARCELO REBELO DE SOUSAhe announced that he confirmed with the government that the Portuguese detained will have consular support of the Portuguese Embassy in Israel.

“The President of the Republic has confirmed with the government that will be assured, through our Embassy in Telavive, all consular support to the detained compatriots, as a rule, and in particular when it implies holders of sovereignty organs [a deputada Mariana Mortágua]as well as all the support for the return to Portugal, ”reads a note from the Presidency of the Republic.

Resumed contact with a Portuguese

The Portugal Embassy in Telavive has already contacted one of the Portuguese (not specified) Integrated in the Flotilha for Gaza, and asked Israel information about the detainees “as soon as possible,” the government said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned, in a statement, that the consular services of the Portugal Embassy in Testravive have already asked the Israeli authorities that are informed “as soon as possible” on the state and place where the Portuguese integrated in the flotilha will be arrested.

During the day, with the approach of the Flotilla to Gaza, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry had already pronounced, appealing to the Israeli authorities to abstain from using violence against the humanitarian flotilla.

“Portugal addressed a message to the government of Israel, by its own diplomatic channels, so that violence is not used and all rights are respected Of those who go to the flotilla, ”he told Lusa official source of Portuguese diplomacy.

O Portuguese government had also addressed the crew in the flotilla so that stayed in international waterswarning of “very serious risks” related to his intention to deliver humanitarian aid at the Palestinian Enclave of the Gaza Strip.

Boats may sink

The Israeli Navy plans to transfer activists to a large military ship and tow the vessels to the Port of Ashdod, with the possibility of some to be Sunned in the sea, because they are unstablewarned military sources, to the Israeli Public Station Kan.

Global Sumud is considered the largest organized humanitarian flotilla so far.