Five Malaysian Human Rights Lawyers in Jordan to Secure Legal Aid for Detained GSF Activists
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2: Five Malaysian human rights lawyers have arrived in Amman, Jordan, to provide legal assistance and ensure transparent proceedings for Malaysian delegates of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) detained by Israeli forces.
One of the lawyers, Dir Kheizwan Kamaruddin, confirmed that the team is representing the detained Malaysians and is coordinating with Adalah The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel as well as international lawyers to handle the legal process.
“We are still managing legal matters and will soon visit the Malaysian Embassy in Jordan. The detained Malaysians will most likely be deported through Jordan. However, we are prepared for any scenario, including possible deportation via Egypt,” he told Bernama on Thursday.
The legal team includes Fahmi Abd Moin, Azril Mohd Amin, Ahmad Nazrin Abu Bakar, and Luqman Mazlan. Fahmi, who represents the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (CENTHRA), explained that their mission is to safeguard the rights and interests of the Malaysians participating in the humanitarian flotilla.
“Several outcomes are possible, including being processed at Israeli ports before repatriation via the Malaysian embassies in Amman or Cairo. They may also face detention for up to 72 hours under Israeli immigration law, or longer if wrongly classified as terrorists,” he said, noting the team’s arrival in Amman on Wednesday.
He added that they are maintaining close coordination with Adalah to ensure legal procedures are properly followed, particularly as Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.
In a statement, CENTHRA strongly condemned Israel’s actions against the flotilla, describing the interception as a violation of international law.
It highlighted that Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is illegal under the San Remo Manual (Article 102), as it obstructs humanitarian aid and harms civilians. CENTHRA also referred to the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 ruling, which deemed Israel’s occupation unlawful, stressing that the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination must be upheld.
“This flotilla mission is peaceful and humanitarian, exercising the right of freedom of navigation under Article 87 of UNCLOS. Israel’s interception breaches international maritime law. As an occupying power, Israel is obligated to allow food and medicine to reach Gaza under the Fourth Geneva Convention, yet it continues to weaponize starvation,” the statement said.
It added that such actions endanger the lives of activists and violate their rights to life, liberty, and security. CENTHRA further demanded Israel release all flotilla participants immediately, return vessels, and compensate the victims and shipowners.
The organization also called on the international community and civil society to act urgently to stop ongoing violations, including what it described as genocide in Gaza.
According to the official flotilla tracker, at least 21 vessels have been attacked by Israeli naval forces, with 317 activists from various nationalities detained so far.