PETALING JAYA, May 20 — Malaysia is demanding the immediate release of 25 of its citizens who are members and crew of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), detained by the Israeli Zionist regime off the coast of Cyprus on May 18.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the action contravenes basic human rights and international law, as the group was not within Israeli waters when intercepted by the country’s authorities.
“We demand that the Israeli Zionist regime accord them proper treatment and release them immediately as this is against basic human rights and international law.
“They did not intrude … they were far off the coast of Cyprus. Yet they were intercepted, and there were citizens of many other countries who were also detained by the Israeli Zionist regime,” he said during a media conference at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang yesterday.
Mohamad also thanked his Turkish counterpart, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and the government of Türkiye for successfully bringing home 10 Malaysian citizens who had been detained earlier.
“But now we have more detained.
“We ask for them to be accorded proper treatment and be released immediately,” he said.
Mohamad said several other Malaysians had earlier been detained by Greek authorities after their vessel sank while they were in the process of bringing it back.
He said three other crew members or participants had since been released, while two others — the captain and first officer — were detained and tried before later being freed by the court.
“They have all returned to Istanbul.
“We would like to again thank my counterpart, Hakan Fidan, and the government of Türkiye,” he said.
