TUNIS: At least 11 people have been arrested in Tunisia after taking part in a protest demanding the release of jailed organisers of a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla last year, lawyers and activists said on Monday.
The number of those detained over Saturday’s demonstration remains unclear, with activists saying at least 13 had been arrested. But lawyer Ghassen Besbes, who is representing some of the detainees, put the number at 11.
Fellow lawyer Fedy Snene, who is also representing some of those arrested, said a judge had extended their detention by 48 hours, adding that they were interrogated about slogans chanted during the protest.
Authorities have yet to confirm the arrests.
On Saturday, hundreds 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 a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla.
The four were arrested in March on charges of misusing funds raised for the Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempted to sail to Gaza in 2025 with the aim of delivering aid to the Palestinian territory.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has condemned their arrest and repeatedly called for their release.
The group has said the detained activists’ health was “deteriorating fast” after they began a hunger strike to protest their imprisonment.
One of them, Wael Naouar, has been on hunger strike for over a month and was in a critical condition, according to activists.
The Global Sumud Flotilla describes its actions as a “non-violent response to genocide, siege, mass starvation, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza”.
The flotilla was anchored in Tunisia’s Sidi Bou Said port when it was attacked by two drones last year.
Before it was able to reach Gaza, the flotilla was intercepted by Israel, which seized its boats before detaining and deporting the activists.
