French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament, Rima Hassan, who remains in Israeli custody, has been threatened and pressured to sign deportation papers following her arrest aboard the Gaza-bound Madleen aid ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hassan was one of a dozen activists, including climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, aboard the British-flagged vessel that was seized by Israel\u2019s naval forces in international waters on Monday. All passengers were detained and transferred to Israeli facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad, who was also on Madleen and deported by Israel, said after he arrived in Paris that Israeli forces attempted to force those who refused to sign documents admitting illegal entry into Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said Rima Hassan “refuses to sign the papers and was directly threatened by an officer who said: \u2018I\u2019ll smash your head against the wall if you don\u2019t sign. We\u2019ll handle this our own way,\u201d Faiad said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hassan, a prominent advocate for Palestinian rights, has been vocal in her opposition to Israel\u2019s campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hassan’s detention has sparked protests in Paris and drawn sharp criticism from European lawmakers, who described Hassan\u2019s detention as \u201ca blatant violation of her parliamentary immunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe strongly affirm that their humanitarian mission to Gaza was legal, necessary, and urgent; the arrest violates international law; the detention is illegal and arbitrary,” Hassan’s team said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After being kidnapped in international waters, the 12 Freedom Flotilla members were presented with documents asking them to acknowledge illegal entry into Israel. Signing meant immediate deportation, while refusal would lead to a court hearing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four of them, including Thunberg, signed the presented papers and flew out of Tel Aviv early on Tuesday. Upon arrival in Paris, Thunberg told reporters she and her companions had been \u201ckidnapped in international waters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The climate activist, however, said her brief detention was nothing compared with what Palestinians regularly endure under the Israeli regime\u2019s occupation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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