Prominent figures worldwide, including Arundhati Roy, call for Shahidul Alam’s release

A dozen prominent figures from around the world, including rights activist Arundhati Roy, have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Bangladeshi photographer Shahidul Alam, who was allegedly detained by Israeli forces while travelling to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla.

The group also demanded the release of 150 humanitarians aboard the “Conscience” and “Thousand Madleens” flotillas, as well as thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

They urged an end to the Israeli occupation and genocide in Palestine.

Drik, the independent media organisation founded by Shahidul, published the statement issued by his friends and family at 9am on Thursday.

Among the signatories were New Delhi-based writer Arundhati, New York-based scholar Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Cape Town-based playwright Mike van Graan, and Kathmandu-based journalist Kanak Mani Dixit, along with dozens of others from across the world.

“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul, along with all 91 other media and medical professionals on board the Conscience who have been illegally kidnapped on international waters by the genocidal and apartheid state of Israel, along with the thousands of Palestinians who are being held in Israeli prisons without trial,” the statement read.

The Conscience is the latest ship in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s efforts to sail the Mediterranean in an attempt to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has been in place for 18 years.

The ship carried journalists and medical workers.

“For nearly two years, the illegal Israeli occupation has blocked international journalists from entering Gaza, creating one of the most dangerous press blackouts in modern history.

“During this time, hundreds of Palestinian journalists have been deliberately targeted and assassinated, while many more have been imprisoned or silenced. This boat is our challenge to that silence.”

Drik also cited David Heap, a member of the steering committee of the Canadian Boat to Gaza and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” Heap said.

“This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalised for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”

According to Drik, Israel continues to act with impunity, ignoring the ICJ’s binding orders on humanitarian access and international laws protecting civilian shipping, as well as global calls to end the blockade and war in Gaza.

The organisation also highlighted the demands of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza, which include:

• An end to Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade of Gaza;
• An end to Israel’s genocide of Gaza;
• The immediate release of all abducted volunteers;
• The delivery of humanitarian aid directly to Palestinians, independent of Israeli control;
• Full accountability for the military assaults on the flotilla boats.

Drik said that in a recent update from the flotilla organisers, violence had been used against some volunteers during the seizure of the ships and they were being sent to Ktzi’ot prison.

Efforts were under way to determine whether Alam was among them.

Earlier, a photograph circulated on social media claiming to show Shahidul’s detention was found to be artificially generated, according to the fact-checking organisation Rumour Scanner.

Drik reported that Israeli forces seized a total of eight ships, including the Freedom Flotilla vessel Conscience, at 6am Palestinian time (8am Bangladesh time) on Wednesday.

The flotilla was intercepted 120 nautical miles (220km) from Gaza.

In previous attempts, more than 40 ships of the Global Sumud Flotilla fleet sought to break the blockade and enter Gaza.

Israeli forces seized them and detained over 400 rights activists.

Another flotilla of 11 ships, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza, set sail for Gaza on Oct 1.