Rabat – Israel continues to illegally hold Moroccan human rights defender Aziz Rhali, former president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), and Abdelazim Draoui, an engineer, following their participation in the Sumud flotilla attempting to break the blockade on Gaza.
Four other Moroccan activists detained during the same operation were released on Saturday evening, and deported to Turkiye, according to statements from participants and human rights figures.
Noufel Bouamri, president of the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH), expressed solidarity with Rhali, condemning what he described as a “retaliatory measure by the Israeli occupation against Aziz for his positions and his opposition to the war and aggression targeting Gaza, classified as a war crime.”
In a post on Facebook, Bouamri added, “We can only join the calls demanding his immediate release and safe return to Morocco, with guarantees for his physical and psychological safety.”
Rhali, known for his outspoken defense of Palestinian rights, was among dozens of activists from different countries aboard the flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces earlier this week.
Lawyer and activist Abdelhaq Benqadi, one of the Moroccan participants, confirmed that Israeli authorities had freed four Moroccan nationals detained after the flotilla’s interception on Wednesday.
In a statement posted online, Benqadi noted that the repatriation procedures for the remaining Moroccan detainees are still ongoing, naming among them Aziz Rhali and engineer Abdelazim Draoui. He urged the families of those still in custody to contact the Moroccan embassy in Turkiye for updated and accurate information.
Several detainees reportedly began an open hunger strike upon arrest, including Rhali. Israeli media reported that 473 flotilla participants were interrogated and later transferred to Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert.
The Sumud flotilla, part of a long-running international campaign to break the 17-year blockade imposed on Gaza, was intercepted by the Israeli navy earlier this week.
The incident drew renewed attention to Israel’s continued blockade on humanitarian aid amid their ongoing bloody genocide on Gaza, and the growing number of international activists detained during solidarity missions.
Human rights organizations in Morocco have since multiplied calls for their citizens’ release and denounced Israel’s actions as blatant violations of international law.
