Support to the journalist of « Blast », Yanis Mhamdi, arbitrarily detained in Israel – Liberation
We, journalists, signatories of this forum, express our deep concern and our full solidarity towards our colleague Yanis Mhamdi, journalist for the media Blast,, currently arbitrarily detained by the Israeli authorities.
Last week, Yanis Mhamdi embarked on the humanitarian ship Madleenas part of the Freedom Flotilla Civil Mission, in order to document the routing of humanitarian aid for Gazaouis civilians. With his colleague Omar Faiad, journalist for the Al Jazeera media, he accompanied many personalities, among whom activist Greta Thunberg and the French MEP Rima Hassan. He was there as a journalist, in the strict exercise of his functions, commissioned by his media.
During the night of June 8 to 9, 2025, the ship Madleen was illegally intercepted In international waters by the Israeli army, in a manifest violation of international law. All passengers was placed in detention. While some were able to return to their country of origin, Yanis Mhamdi remains detained, for having refused to sign a document under false conditions. The signing of the document notably implied that the boat had penetrated the Israeli waters, which is wrong.
Since this arresthis relatives and his advice could only obtain fragmentary information about his state and his conditions of detention. He was deprived of food for several hours, threatened by weapons, and first retained on the boat, then in immigration services and Currently in Givon prisonunder conditions that nothing justifies.
This situation raises serious questions: it is now unthinkable that a French journalist, mandated by his media, is deprived of freedom for having simply exercised his job. By assimilating a journalist to an activist, by deliberately hampering the work of an information professional, our whole profession is threatened.
This arbitrary detention is part of the continuity of Treatment of journalists in Gazasystematically prevented from doing their work, or even targeted, since according to the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, Nearly 200 of them were killed by Israeli forces.
The arrest and sequestration of our colleague causes a direct and disturbing threat to the freedom to inform journalists to cover armed conflicts and humanitarian situations around the world.
By maintaining Yanis Mhamdi in detention, it is everyone’s right to be informed who vacillates again. Now preserving freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to information cannot be an option: it is a democratic obligation.
We ask the French State to take responsibility and to publicly demand the immediate release of our colleague. Silence, ambiguity or passivity are no longer acceptable.
Press freedom is not negotiable. It is the guarantor of public debate, and thereby, the base of all democracy.
Signatory organizations: Reporters Without Borders (RSF), BlastThe Société des journalistes de France 24, the Society for Journalists and Staff of Release (SJPL), the Radio France International Radio Society (RFI), the Society of Journalists of Mediapart, The National Union of Journalists (SNJ), the journalists of journalists Telerama, The Society of Personnel of humanity, The association of anti-racist and racialized journalists (AJAR), the National Syndicate of CGT Journalists (SNJ-CGT), SDJ Konbini.
