Tunisia Gaza flotilla protest: 11 held, lawyer says

At least 11 people have been arrested in Tunisia after a protest demanding the release of jailed organisers of a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla, lawyers and activists said on Sept. 21.

The number detained after the Sept. 19 demonstration in Tunis remains unclear. Lawyer Ghassen Besbes, who represents some of the detainees, put the number at 11, while activists said at least 13 people had been arrested. Tunisian authorities have not confirmed the arrests.

Fedy Snene, another lawyer representing some of those arrested, said a judge had extended their detention by 48 hours. He said they were questioned about slogans chanted during the protest.

The Tunisian League for Human Rights, the bar association and the UGTT union confederation expressed deep concern and called for the demonstrators to be freed. They also called for an end to the obstruction of peaceful gatherings.

Hundreds of people protested in Tunis to demand the release of four jailed pro-Palestinian activists accused by Tunisian authorities of money laundering over their involvement in organising the Global Sumud Flotilla.

The four were arrested in March on charges of misusing funds raised for the flotilla, which attempted to sail to Gaza in 2025 to deliver aid to the Palestinian territory. The Global Sumud Flotilla has condemned their arrest and repeatedly called for their release.

The group said the detained activists' health was deteriorating after they began a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment. Activists said one of them, Wael Naouar, had been on hunger strike for more than a month and was in critical condition.

The flotilla was anchored in Tunisia's Sidi Bou Said port when it was attacked by two drones last year. Israel later intercepted the flotilla before it reached Gaza, seized its boats, and detained and deported the activists.