Al-Qalam 
Ten Samud Land Convoy activists are still held arbitrarily by the Libyan Arab Armed Forces and calls are growing for their release, writes Ismail Suder.
Palestinian activists worldwide have launched a campaign to call on the breakaway East Libyan government to free the 10 Samud Land Convoy participants it arrested while they were trying to negotiate safe passage through its territory to deliver tons of aid to Gaza.
While the majority of the Samud Land Convoy participants have returned to their respective countries, the 10 – who were acting as negotiators – were arrested and charged with illegal entry – there is limited consular access to establish the status of their detention.
On her return to Cape Town, activist Fatima Hendricks said their travel through Libya was difficult. Their convoy had faced insurmountable hurdles as they travelled with 10 containers of food and medicine, ambulances, vehicles and mobile homes.
“But what did the military do? They (the East Libyan forces) came in their might to squash us. Our comrades are being held with very limited access. We demand their immediate release,” she said.
Meanwhile, Feroza Mayet, a spokesperson for the Samud Land Convoy, told Al-Qalam that aid for Gaza is in storage in East Libya, and negotiations are ongoing to have it transferred to Gaza.
She said all of the 200 participants had Libyan visas and they were working with the Red Crescent to facilitate the convoy’s passage across Libya, with their final destination being Gaza.
She called on people of conscience to stand up and call for the release of the 10 negotiators.
Meanwhile, in a statement, human rights organisation Amnesty International said the 10 participants – four men and six women – were arrested while en route to Sirte to negotiate with local authorities to allow safe passage for the convoy to pass through.
“The Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) must ensure the immediate release of 10 members of the Global Sumud Land Convoy who have been arbitrarily detained for over two weeks in eastern Libya solely for attempting to deliver aid to Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing genocide, Amnesty International said today.
Following periods of enforced disappearance ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pretrial detention pending investigations into charges of “assembly without authorisation.” If convicted, they face up to six months in prison and/or a fine.
“At a time when Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are grappling with Israel’s ongoing genocide and catastrophic humanitarian conditions, it is utterly disgraceful that individuals seeking to deliver humanitarian assistance and end Israel’s unlawful blockade have been met with arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and prosecution on bogus charges in Libya,” said Mahmoud Shalaby, Regional Researcher at Amnesty International.
“No one should be punished for undertaking peaceful humanitarian action and trying to stop human rights abuses. The Libyan Arab Armed Forces must ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the activists, and in the meantime ensure that they have prompt and regular access to their families, consular representatives, lawyers and any medical care they require.”
“From 1 June and at least until 4 June 2026, the detainees, whose ages range from 30 to 70 and who are nationals of Argentina, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Uruguay, and the USA, went on hunger strike to protest their detention and denial of access to their lawyers and families.
The 10 are Achraf Khoja (Tunisia); Lucas Aquilera (Argentina); Maria Gimenez (Argentina); Ana Franca Baptista (Portugal); Leornarda Alberizia (Italy); Jenelle Jones (United States); Matias Alvarez (Uruguay); Laura Alsubaih (Poland); Alicia Armesto (Spain) and Domenico Centrone (Italy).
The statement added: “On 17 May 2026, the convoy comprising more than 200 participants who had intended to drive to Gaza over land halted its journey and camped at a location approximately 9km from Sirte due to security concerns about the concentration of armed men nearby. One week later, on 24 May 2026, a delegation of 10 convoy participants proceeded toward Sirte to seek permission from the local authorities for the convoy to continue its journey. An armed group affiliated with the LAAF arrested the group at a security checkpoint near Sirte, without informing them of the reasons for their arrest.
“The 10 were then escorted into unmarked white vans and forced onto a plane to Benghazi, where they were held in an unknown detention facility without allowing them to contact their lawyers or families.”
