Transparency Maroc has expressed deep concern over the arrest of Moroccan citizens Aziz Ghali, the former president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH), and vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and engineer Abdelazim Ben Daraaoui. The two were detained by Israeli forces after taking part in the Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian mission aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza and delivering food and medical aid to its residents. In a press release on Monday, the NGO described the arrests as a «flagrant violation of international human rights and humanitarian law», noting that the flotilla was operating in international waters. Transparency Maroc expressed its «absolute solidarity with rights advocate Aziz Ghali, who has been on hunger strike since his abduction, and with Abdelazim Ben Daraaoui, along with all Moroccan activists who upheld the Moroccan people's stance against occupation». The association urged Moroccan authorities to «intervene urgently to ensure their immediate release and take all necessary diplomatic steps to guarantee their safety and return home». It also called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant international bodies to «investigate the conditions of detention and alleged acts of torture», and appealed to independent Moroccan and international organizations to «launch a broad solidarity campaign for the release of all activists detained by Israeli authorities». On October 1, the Israeli army intercepted more than twenty boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla. Six Moroccans were among the detained activists on board: Aziz Ghali, Ayoub Habraoui, Younes Ait Yassine, Abdelazim Ben Daraaoui, Youssef Ghallal, and Yassine Lefrm. While most of the participants were later released, Ghali and Ben Daraaoui remain in detention.
