Rome prosecutor investigates complaints filed by Global Sumud Flotilla activists

The Office of the Public Prosecutor in Rome announced that it has opened an investigation into complaints filed by Italian activists and parliamentarians who were aboard vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which were intercepted by Israeli forces off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

The Italian news agency (AKI) reported that the prosecutor’s office intends to interview participants in the initiative as persons familiar with the events, after reviewing the documents submitted and assessing its jurisdiction over the case.

According to media reports, Israeli forces seized vessels belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla last Wednesday while they were sailing in international waters on a humanitarian mission bound for Gaza. Hundreds of international activists were detained aboard the ships before the start of their deportation.

The Global Sumud Flotilla — comprising human rights activists, parliamentarians, and civil society representatives from several countries — had sought to deliver humanitarian aid and draw attention to the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The investigation, AKI noted, comes amid growing international concern over the treatment of the detained activists and the legality of Israel’s interception of the flotilla in international waters.