![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/estelle.jpg\" "\\"estelle\\"")
\nBy Countercurrents.org
\n21 October, 2012
\nCountercurrents.org<\/p>\n
\nBy Countercurrents.org
\n21 October, 2012
\nCountercurrents.org<\/p>\n
The Associated Press reports: Israeli troops on Saturday commandeered a Gaza-bound ship that tried to break through Israel\u2019s blockade of the Hamas-ruled seaside strip, the military said. European lawmakers and other pro-Palestinian activists aboard did not resist, and the Finnish-flagged vessel was diverted to an Israeli port.
\nThe voyage by the ship, Estelle, marked the latest challenge to the air, land and sea embargo of Gaza that Israel imposed after the Islamic militant Hamas group seized the territory in 2007. Israeli officials say they need to enforce the blockade to prevent weapons smuggling.
\nSix Israeli naval vessels stopped the Estelle when it was about 30 nautical miles from Gaza, and masked soldiers boarder the ship and ordered it to sail to Israel\u2019s Ashdod port, said Victoria Strand, a spokeswoman for the activists.
\nThe Swedish-owned Estelle left Naples, Italy, on Oct. 7 with about 30 people from eight countries, including lawmakers from Norway, Sweden, Greece and Spain, as well as Israeli activists and a 79-year-old former legislator from Canada.
\nNEWS UPDATE #ESTELLE | -Israeli Estelle passengers report extreme violence. 2 Greek parliamentarians severely attacked. Blackhawk helicopters and hundreds of soldiers.
\n-The Israeli Estelle passengers were in the courtroom for 3 minutes. Once they started telling media about Israel army violence they were taken out, and brought back only when the judge came in. The judge decided to leave them in custody for an additional 48 hours
\n-Judge decided to leave Israeli #Estelle passengers in custody for an additional 48 hours
\n-The Israeli activists arrested on the Estelle are being charged with violating Disengagement Law, incitement, incitement to rebellion and aiding the enemy. International activists were taken to Hulon and there a reports coming through that Israel has already started to “deport”\/”expel” them
\n~SPECIAL THANKS to Israeli Activist Tali Shapiro for providing these updates from Ashkelon Courthouse~<\/p>\n
Paul Manly Writes On His Father’s Behalf
\nDear members of the media
\nI am writing to follow up on my last email. My father, Jim Manly is in Israeli custody. The Estelle was attacked in International waters around 4:30AM EDT. My dad, a retired United Church minister and former Member of Parliament is 79 years old (he turns 80 in 9 days). While he is in good health for his age, he is not as resilient as he was in his youth and has medication he needs to take daily. I hope that the Israeli Defence Forces respect his human rights and legal rights and treat him with the respect and dignity he deserves. Press release below.
\nFor Immediate Release
\nShortly after 4:00AM EDT when the Estelle was in international waters approx. 17 Nautical Miles north of Arish, Egypt (as per the last coordinates we have) Israeli war ships surrounded it and the assault on the peaceful ship started.<\/p>\n
Communications were lost at that time and all reports we got from the ship were choppy.<\/p>\n
Among others, the following individuals were on board:
\nFormer Member of Parliament Manly James, Canada
\nMember of Parliament Hagen Aksel, Norway
\nMember of Parliament Britton Sven, Sweden
\nMember of Parliament Kodelas Dimitios, Greece
\nMember of Parliament Sixto Ricardo, Spain
\nMember of Parliament Diamantopoulos Evangelos, Greece
\nFull list of individuals onboard:
\nSee Jim Manly’s pre-recorded video message: http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O8egYBdf-Zo<\/p>\n
As pre his request please contact the Prime Minister and your local member of parliament and ask them to insist that the Israeli government respect the human rights and legal rights of those aboard the Estelle.
\n– Stephen Harper (Prime Minister of Canada)
\n613-992-4211
\nstephen.harper@parl.gc.ca
\n– John Baird (Minister of Foreign Affairs)
\n613-996-0984
\njohn.baird@parl.gc.ca<\/p>\n
Thanks
\nPaul Manly
\npaul@manlymedia.com
\n250 729-1254<\/p>\n
THESE ARE THE SAILORS ON BOARD ESTELLE:
\nMember of Parliament Hagen Aksel Norway 10\/04\/1953
\nMember of Parliament Britton Sven Sweden 14\/06\/1938
\nMember of Parliament Kodelas Dimitios Greece 02\/01\/1979
\nMember of Parliament Sixto Ricardo Spain 07\/01\/1967
\nMember of Parliament Diamantopoulos Evangelos Greece 20\/04\/1980
\nFormer Member of Parliament Manly James Canada 29\/10\/1932
\nOpperdoes Joel Arvid Alexander Sweden 1983-06-20
\nAndreasson Charles Bertil Sweden 1965-03-10
\nS\u00e4rner Daniel Karl-Erik Sweden 1985-12-16
\nUddebrant Johan Lars OS Sweden 1981-06-28
\nWidell Anders Nils Olof Sweden 1986-07-11
\nReksten Herman Elias Norway 1989-10-06
\nElhanan Elazar Israel 1977-04-01
\nSj\u00f8str\u00f8m Nils Johan Norway 1963-11-10
\nKoivisto Velimati Finland 1968-03-01
\nHammervold Jan Petter Norway 1944-27-03
\nFeiler Dror Sweden 1951-31-08
\nSvenberg Kristian Sweden 02-07-1947
\nBoethius Maria-Pia Sweden 09\/04\/1947
\nMor Reut Israel 09\/08\/1982
\nJ\u00e4mi\u00e4 Mika Finland 1959-09-06
\nArau Crusellas Laura Spain 02\/05\/1980
\nRamazzotti Stockel Marco Italy 17-09-1947
\nShapira Yonathan Israel 12-02-1972
\nTiktopoulos Mikhalis Greece 24\/12\/1946
\nZabale Gouzalet Bego\u00d2a Spain 09\/01\/1950
\nStamellos Loukas Greece 22\/06\/1979
\nPiassas Evangelos Greece 02\/04\/1947
\nGardell Mattias Sweden 10\/08\/1959
\nVinthagen Stellan Sweden 13\/10\/1964<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Countercurrents.org 21 October, 2012 Countercurrents.org The Associated Press reports: Israeli troops on Saturday commandeered a Gaza-bound ship that tried to break through Israel\u2019s blockade of the Hamas-ruled seaside strip, the military said. European lawmakers and other pro-Palestinian activists aboard did not resist, and the Finnish-flagged vessel was diverted to an Israeli port. The voyage […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":57907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-turkey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}