A Brazilian activist has issued a public call for the release of four Tunisian colleagues who remain detained in connection with their participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla, which launched in August 2025, involved activists from multiple countries boarding vessels carrying humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza. Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla, detaining those aboard. Israeli authorities subsequently released Channoufi, Henchiri, Boughdiri, and Naouar, who returned to Tunisia in October. However, Tunisian counterterrorism police rearrested the four individuals in February after they announced plans for another flotilla mission.
In a video message posted on social media, Brazilian activist Thiago Avila highlighted the duration of the detentions, stating the four have been held for an extended period since their arrest. According to reports from the United Kingdom-based Morning Star in March, Tunisian authorities charged the activists with money laundering, fraud, and misuse of funds collected through flotilla campaign donations. Family members and fellow activists report the detainees have been held in Tunis’s Mornaguia Prison for more than five months, though Tunisia’s government has not publicly addressed the situation.
Avila emphasized that one of the detained activists, Wael Naouar, has undertaken a hunger strike lasting at least seven days, with reports of serious health complications including fainting and bleeding. Avila noted that both he and Naouar had undertaken similar protest actions while held in Israeli detention previously.
The detentions are part of broader tensions between activists and Tunisia’s government regarding flotilla operations. Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza since 2007, which was intensified in October 2023. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has conducted multiple humanitarian missions since 2010, with participants organizing from ports in Tunisia. Activists have accused Tunisia’s government of moving to obstruct these operations through arrests and restrictions on gatherings related to flotilla activities.
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