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26 October 2010
Posted in
Press releases
Lawyers establish Flotilla Justice Group to coordinate legal action
on behalf of flotilla victims
[Doha, Qatar, 25 October] International legal experts and lawyers representing victims of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla today announced the establishment of the “Flotilla Justice Group.” The announcement came at the conclusion of a two-day meeting held on 23 and 24 October, aimed at coordinating legal actions to hold Israel accountable for its 31 May 2010 attack on the Freedom Flotilla. The meeting, hosted by the Doha-based Al Fakhoora campaign, brought together 70 representatives from 20 countries, to follow up on work that began at the first lawyers’ meeting held in Istanbul on 15 July.
The international advocacy groups, legal and media experts, and lawyers in attendance met in a number of workshops to devise a comprehensive strategy for national, regional and international legal action, inter-organizational coordination, and media mobilization. “The Flotilla Justice Group” will serve as a coordination mechanism for facilitating communication and the exchange of information between lawyers working on behalf of flotilla victims around the world.
Bettahar Boudjellal, a Qatar-based international human rights expert, said, “Israel’s attack on the Freedom Flotilla breached international, human rights and humanitarian law. Our efforts to unify the legal actions through a designated coordination apparatus will allow us to collectively bring the State of Israel to justice. More importantly, it will serve as a foundation for responding to Israel’s future violations.”
The conference workshops were led by prominent personalities within the growing movement to end Israel’s strangulation of Gaza as well as its persistent human rights violations throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. Participants in the meeting included representatives from the following countries: Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Canada, Egypt, France, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Palestine, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Yemen.
“The creation of the Flotilla Justice Group is a vital step forward on the road to holding Israel accountable for its attack on our flotilla, and their ongoing abuse of the Palestinian people” said the Freedom Flotilla organizers.
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22 October 2010
Posted in
News
Free Gaza Responds to Latest Israeli Propaganda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London, Oct. 22, 2010 – As Israel continues to release selective information – documents, photos, and video – stolen from journalists and passengers on the ships, they are now attempting to portray the Turkish government as the primary source of support for the Flotilla. This selective release, without context, is part of the government’s propaganda campaign in the wake of the UN Human Rights Council report and in advance of the Uribe Panel’s report to the UN Secretary General, severely calling into question the ability of Israel to conduct a legitimate inquiry.
The Free Gaza Movement and its partners in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition have always had ongoing, open talks with governments around the world to generate support for breaking the blockade and siege on Gaza. Before each of the previous eight sailings of the Free Gaza Movement, and the launch of the Freedom Flotilla, we held talks with government officials from the United States, Cyprus, Greece, Sweden, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Turkey to generate open support for the mission and to call for ending the Israel’s policies of collective punishment on Palestinians in Gaza.
Prior to every sailing, the Free Gaza Movement has also been completely transparent about its intentions to break the blockade and have had public launchings of boats, which were widely covered and reported in international media, including the Israeli media.
On June 14, 2010, after the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla, when Israeli forces murdered 9 civilians, injured dozens of others on all six ships and stole millions of dollars worth of computer and electronic equipment (some of which has been resold by Israeli soldiers), as well as cash, the International Committee of the Red Cross stated the blockade was a form of collective punishment and “all States have an obligation to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of all relief consignments, equipment and personnel.”[1]
The Free Gaza Movement, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and its individual members have not and do not receive any financial, material, or logistic support from any government. Nonetheless, we call upon all governments to fulfill their obligations under international law and work to end the blockade on Gaza.
Contact: Huwaida Arraf, +971-55-310-5295
Audrey Bomse, +44 786 156 0932
[1] ICRC Statement, “Gaza Closure: Not Another Year,” June 14, 2010, http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/palestine-update-
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17 October 2010
Posted in
News
Free Gaza has been the only organization to send nine voyages to Gaza, successfully entering the port five times in 2008. The 6-boat flotilla was violently stopped May 31, 2010 as we and our coalition partners were trying again to break Israel's illegal siege. That action by Israel has caused several countries to step up and start collecting money to send boats…the UK, the US, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Norway, Ireland…are all planning on sending boats in the spring of 2011.
Attached below is a three-page summary of the UN Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission. Read it and pass it around. It is a vitally important document for us all. Thank you for your support and your donations.
Please continue to donate so we can keep up the pressure on Israel and the international community to open the sea lane to Gaza.
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 FG - Summary of Report of HRC FFM_2.pdf | 650 Kb |
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16 October 2010
Posted in
News
Free Gaza is expanding our capabilities, beginning to send out live feeds of events surrounding the run up to the next flotilla. So tune in on Sunday, October 17 at 7:30 pm California time and listen to Col. Ann Wright talk about her experience on board one of the boats attacked by Israel on May 31, then listen to plans for Freedom Flotilla 2 where we will be part of the coalition that sends 12-20 boats back to Gaza in the spring of 2011.
Tune in to witnessgaza.com and watch the presentation. Then let us know what you would like to see LIVE on witnessgaza.com by writing to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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| annwrightflyer2.pdf | 76 Kb |
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