Oakland Ross of the Toronto Star reported early this morning that all but four of the peace activists on the Gaza relief boat that the Israelis had commandeered -- including all three Americans -- had been released from jail. Israel frees all but four protesters from ship:
Four passengers aboard a Greek-registered ship that was impounded by Israeli sailors last week remained in detention here yesterday.
Still in custody were Irish Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire and another Irish citizen, identified as Derek Graham, along with a Dane and a Yemeni cameraman for the Arab TV network Al-Jazeera.
The rest of the 21 crew and passengers on the Spirit of Humanity when it was seized a week ago off the Gaza Strip have been released.
Nine – six Britons and three Americans – were deported from Israel yesterday. They included former U.S. congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, who flew to New York.
A spokesman for the Free Gaza Movement activist organization said last night he expected the last detainees to be released in the next few days.
Cynthia McKinney was expected to arrive at Washington National Airport just before noon today: Cynthia McKinney is scheduled to arrive at DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport today (Tuesday, July 7) at 11:55 am ET: will meet with reporters to discuss the illegal capture and detention of the Free Gaza 21 by Israel.
Members and supporters of the Free Gaza 21 have expressed concern about some of the human rights activists still held in Israel. According to recent communications, Mairead Maguire had initially chosen to stay in the Ramla prison in solidarity with Muslim members of the Free Gaza 21 from Yemen, Jordon, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Palestine, and Denmark, but a Haaretz (Israel) news article has stated that Ms. Maguire would be deported (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098033.html). Accorrding to later messages, the activists from the UK and Scotland are also being deported.
ISRIA appears to confirm that Maguire has been released.
The American activists on board the Spirit of Humanity, in addition to McKinney, were: Adam Shapiro, an American documentary maker and human rights activist, and Kathy Sheetz, a nurse and film maker. All those on board the boat are listed by Free Gaza here.
Since concern has been expressed on this forum about the fate of the other activists besides McKinney, I thought I ought to post this news.