Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila returned to São Paulo this Monday (11), after being detained and deported from Israel, where he claimed to have been tortured and witnessed abuse against Palestinian prisoners during the 10 days he was in custody.
Ávila and Spaniard Abu Keshek were part of the second Sumud Global Flotilla, which left Spain on April 12 with the aim of breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, delivering humanitarian aid.
The two were arrested and taken to Israel after Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla, while more than 100 other pro-Palestinian activists were taken to Crete.
Ávila and Abu Keshek were detained on suspicion of crimes such as aiding the enemy and contacting a terrorist group. Both denied the accusations. They are handed over to immigration authorities for deportation.
“My return was simply the correction of a serious violation. I was kidnapped by Israel, not arrested,” Ávila told reporters upon his arrival at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport.
“They were part of our mission to correct a serious violation. I was kidnapped by Israel, not arrested,” Ávila told journalists upon his arrival at Guarulhos International Airport, in São Paulo.
Ávila said he and Abu Keshek suffered “all kinds of violations” during their detention, adding that Palestinian prisoners in nearby cells received worse treatment.
Israel rejected claims by rights group Adalah, which represented the men at a court hearing in Israel, that they had been tortured in custody, and said all measures taken were in accordance with the law.
The governments of Spain and Brazil declared that the detention was illegal.
“We need to defeat (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu and (US President) Donald Trump, we need to defeat the war criminals,” Ávila said as supporters held up signs calling for Brazil to break ties with Israel.
The Gaza Strip is largely controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel and much of the West.
The group’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 began the war in Gaza, which left a large part of the enclave’s population homeless and dependent on humanitarian aid – which, according to humanitarian agencies, arrives very slowly.
