Tunisia holds Israel responsible for safety of Marzouki, flotilla activists

AhlulBayt News Agency - Tunisia on Monday condemned the interception by the Israeli navy of one of the vessels of the Freedom Flotilla III which was carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza, calling to immediately release all participants in the flotilla.

Tunisia called, in a Foreign Ministry statement, to immediately release all participants in the Freedom flotilla, holding the Israeli occupation authorities responsible for their safety and that of Moncef al-Marzouki, the former Tunisian president.

Spokesperson for the Tunisian Presidency Moez Sinawi said the presidency has been following up on the current developments as regards al-Marzouki’s life, given his status as Tunisia’s ex-president and also a citizen, and that of the other campaigners.

Several human rights activists and politicians, including al-Marzouki, have been on board of the Freedom Flotilla III ship Marianne which had set sail from a Mediterranean port in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, before being intercepted by the Israeli navy gunboats and commandeered to the Israeli port of Ashdod.