Activist Saïf Abú Keixec, part of the Gaza Flotilla, arrived at Barcelona Airport on 10 May 2026, following his imprisonment in Shikma, Israel. Abú Keixec was detained alongside Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila.
Both Abú Keixec and Ávila began a hunger strike after their detention off the coast of Greece. Abú Keixec stopped drinking water on Wednesday, after a court rejected an appeal against the extension of his detention, according to Vilaweb.
Upon his arrival, Abú Keixec told reporters that Israel violates human rights "at any time and space". He added, "What we have seen is the result of impunity, of the complicity of governments that allow Israel to act the way it acts."
Denouncing Prison Conditions
Abú Keixec stated that his greatest concern is the situation of Palestinian prisoners. He claimed that in the detention centre, he "could investigate the screams based on torture". He also reported that prisoners lack access to humanitarian aid, their right to mobility is violated, and hospitals and schools are bombed.
During interrogations, Abú Keixec heard Israel justify its actions as self-protection. He stressed the importance of humanity, saying, "Our priority must continue to be humanity. We must continue to defend people, wherever they are from." He also noted that civil society acts because "the system is designed for what it is designed for, to oppress people, to take away rights and to allow some rights to determine the destiny of others."
Allegations of Abuse and Torture
Both Abú Keixec and Ávila claim to have suffered abuse and torture. They shared these accounts with lawyers from the Palestinian human rights organisation Adalah and with consuls who visited them, as reported by the Global Sumud Flotilla in a statement. Amnesty International has called for an investigation into these allegations.
The activists' arrival in Barcelona brings further attention to the conditions of detention and the broader human rights situation in the region, as highlighted by the Gaza Flotilla's mission.
