Tunisia detains organizers of the Gaza flotilla for fraud and money laundering

Tunisian authorities arrested several activists linked to the organization of a new international flotilla bound for Gaza, in the midst of an investigation for alleged fraud, money laundering and misuse of donations collected to finance the campaign. The move came as preparations were progressing for a maritime mission that sought to challenge the restrictions imposed by

Israel on the Strip.

According to Tunisian media, the financial crimes unit of the National Guard opened an investigation to determine the origin and management of the funds collected by the organizers. The file focuses on managers and members of the committee responsible for coordinating the so-called Sumud Global Flotilla, an initiative that aimed to send boats with humanitarian aid to

Gaza.

Among those arrested are Wael Naouar, Jawaher Channa and Nabil Channoufi, members of the organizing committee in Tunisia. The authorities did not comment publicly on the arrests, although they confirmed that the accounts and the destination of the donations collected as part of the international campaign are being reviewed

.

The arrests come in a context of growing tension surrounding the preparation of a new civilian flotilla that planned to sail to Gaza with the stated objective of delivering humanitarian aid. The initiative would involve the participation of more than a thousand international “activists”, including doctors, engineers and researchers of alleged war crimes, in addition to a ground support convoy that aspired to mobilize thousands of

participants.

This week, for example, security forces prevented a planned ceremony at the port of Sidi Bou Said to honor dock workers who had supported a previous flotilla mission. In addition, the authorities banned an event in which several international activists were going to participate

.

Among those invited to that meeting were the Brazilian Thiago Ávila, the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Seif Abu Koshk,

one of the organizers of the so-called World March to Gaza.

While the authorities review the organization's accounts, the future of the flotilla remains in question and the organizers demand that the detainees be released while the judicial process progresses.