Three passengers of the Madleen sailboat still blocked in Israel – Liberation
« We hoped for an imminent return of our journalist incarcerated in Israel since Madleen’s arranging and the arrest of its crew. It’s missed. » In a press release published on its site, the independent media Blast announced that the last three passengers of the Madleen, including his journalist Yanis Mhamdi, supposed to be expelled this Friday from detention, remained in detention. While they were to go back by plane, Israeli airspace has been closed Following Tel Aviv’s attack On nuclear installations and ballistic missile factories in Iran overnight Thursday to Friday.
According to Blast,, « Journalist Yanis Mhamdi and the last two volunteers, the Dutchman Marco Van Rennes and the French Pascal Maurieras » are always on site and « Stay locked up in Givon prison (near Ben Gurion airport, in central Israel, editor’s note) ». The other nine passengers – including MEP Rima Hassan and activist Greta Thunberg – were all expelled during the week.
« Support to Yannis Mhamdi, journalist illegally detained by the Israeli authorities for 5 days now »reacted to X this Friday the LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard. As soon as Rima Hassan’s return to France returns to France, the rebellious deputy Mathilde Panot also posted on X: “The mobilization continues for the release of Yanis Mhamdi and Pascal Maurieras. It continues mainly to end the genocide in Gaza! There will be as many boats as necessary to break the illegal blockade ”. « My colleague Yanis Mhamdi is still in prison for doing his job »wrote this Friday in Story on Instagram Salomé Sacé, Blast journalist.
« Only a firm and determined intervention of French diplomacy could unlock the situation and help our lawyers on site have the three detainees repatriate » as quickly as possible « added Blast in its press release. A diplomatic source ensures for Release that « France follows the situation carefully ». Without apparently emphasizing to accelerate its resolution. « The Consulate General of France in Tel Aviv has been in constant connection with our nationals since the start of their retention in order to allow a return to France of our compatriots as soon as possible, when the air links are restored. »
The Islamic Republic and the Hebrew State have decided to close their airspace this Friday until further notice. Before you intercepted « About 100 drones » Iranian reprisals on Friday morning, the Israeli Ministry of Transport had confirmed this closure overnight.
Israeli airport authorities asked travelers not to come to Ben -Gurion Airport – The country’s main international airport – and Israeli air defense units are on maximum alert. The situation could last: Benyamin Netanyahu warned operations in the morning they would last « As many days as it should be ».
