Protesters in Tunisia demand freedom for detained Gaza flotilla activists

• Hundreds demonstrated in Tunis demanding the immediate release of four jailed pro-Palestinian flotilla organizers.
• All four detainees initiated an open-ended hunger strike to protest their six-month pre-trial detention on financial charges.
• Rights groups labeled the money laundering charges fabricated, citing broader state repression against civil society.

Hundreds of Tunisian protesters gathered on Saturday to demand the release of four jailed pro-Palestinian activists accused by authorities of money laundering and misusing funds in connection with a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid mission.

The four activists were arrested in March on charges of mismanaging funds raised for the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international effort that sailed toward the Gaza Strip in 2025 to deliver humanitarian aid and challenge the maritime blockade.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla have repeatedly condemned the arrests.

In an official statement on Saturday, the group raised alarms over the detainees' condition, reporting that their health was "deteriorating fast" after entering a hunger strike to protest their ongoing detention.

"Politically motivated" charges 

Rights organizations have strongly rejected the government's financial charges, framing the case as an attempt to curb popular pro-Palestinian advocacy.

"This is a politically motivated case, and we consider them to be prisoners of conscience and political prisoners," said Bassem Trifi, head of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH). "The movement in support of Palestinian rights brought together a huge number of people and generated significant popular support. Today, there are attempts to reduce the issue to a simple matter of the mismanagement (of funds)."

The arrests coincided with preparations for a subsequent flotilla mission departing partly from Tunisia, which was ultimately canceled.

The Global Sumud Flotilla characterized the legal actions as a "troubling departure from Tunisia's long history of public solidarity with the Palestinian people."

Ghassen Bouazi, an advocate campaigning for the activists' freedom, stated that their prosecution forms "part of a broader campaign targeting political figures, rights advocates and journalists." He added, "We believe that some of the reasons behind their arrest were pressures from abroad," without providing further details.

Flotilla's history in Tunisia 

The Global Sumud Flotilla defines its mission as a "non-violent response to genocide, siege, mass starvation, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza."

The flotilla's presence in North Africa has previously drawn international attention.

Last year, while anchored at Tunisia's Sidi Bou Said port, the mission was targeted by two drones.

Before reaching the Gaza Strip last year, the flotilla was intercepted by 'Israel', which seized its vessels before detaining and deporting the participating international activists.