If you see this, we’ve been kidnapped: Thunberg’s SOS video before Israel seizes Gaza-bound ship
Gaza/Tel Aviv: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg appeared in a pre-recorded video shared by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), moments before Israeli forces seized their British-flagged aid ship Madleen, which was en route to Gaza. The video served as a distress message to the global community, in which Thunberg stated that she and her fellow passengers had been “kidnapped in international waters.”
“My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel,” she said in the video. “I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
The Madleen, carrying a 12-member crew including Thunberg and French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, was part of an initiative by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to deliver a symbolic consignment of humanitarian aid, comprising rice and baby formula, to Gaza and raise awareness about the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region.
The FFC said Israeli forces intercepted the ship in the early hours of Sunday and escorted it to an Israeli port. A photo posted by Rima Hassan on social media showed the crew seated on the deck with life jackets, hands raised.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry later confirmed the vessel’s capture, referring to it as a “selfie yacht” and claiming the mission was a “propaganda effort in support of Hamas.” A statement read, “All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed. They were provided with sandwiches and water. The show is over.”
Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had earlier ordered that the Madleen be stopped, describing it as a political provocation. The Israeli government has justified the ongoing naval blockade of Gaza, in place since 2007, as necessary to prevent arms supplies from reaching Hamas.
Since the beginning of Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, over 54,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations has warned that more than 2 million residents in Gaza are now facing the threat of famine.
Despite the Israeli government's dismissal of the aid mission, the FFC maintains that the goal of the voyage was peaceful and aimed at drawing global attention to the dire conditions in Gaza. The coalition called on international governments to intervene and secure the release of all detained activists.
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Defamation case: Rahul alleges political malice; UP court sets March 9 hearing
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday appeared before an MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur and recorded his statement in a 2018 defamation case related to his remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Gandhi told the court of Special Judge Shubham Verma that the allegations against him were made out of political malice and with an aim of destroying his image and that of his party, the Congress leader's advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla told PTI.
The court fixed March 9 as the next date of hearing on which the Lok Sabha MP from Raebareli has been asked to furnish evidence in his defence, the lawyer said.
Elaborating about the statement given by the Congress leader in the court, his lawyer said Gandhi denied all allegations levelled against him.
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"The allegations are baseless and unfounded. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone. A false complaint has been filed by distorting my statement," Shukla quoted Gandhi as saying.
"The allegations have been made against me out of political malice with the aim of destroying my image and that of my party. I have never used derogatory words against anyone, nor have I used such language with the intention of defaming anyone," Gandhi told the court
As the Congress leader emerged from the court after recording his statement, party supporters raised slogans hailing him. Gandhi smiled and waved at the crowd before leaving.
Gandhi entered the Sultanpur court around 10.40 am and left after recording statements around 11.15 am.
Ahead of the court hearing, some local Congress leaders had put up posters in Sultanpur that read 'Satyamev Jayate' (truth always triumphs).
The case dates back to 2018 when local BJP leader and former chairman of the District Cooperative Bank Vijay Mishra had filed a defamation complaint against Gandhi, alleging that during the Karnataka elections in 2018, the Congress leader made derogatory remarks against the then BJP president and current Union Home Minister Shah.
Santosh Kumar Pandey, the lawyer representing Mishra, said the cross-examination of the plaintiff and two witnesses has been completed.
The trial has been underway for the past five years. In December 2023, a warrant was issued against Gandhi for non-appearance before the court. He surrendered in February 2024, following which a special magistrate granted him bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each.
On July 26, 2024, Gandhi recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and terming the case a political conspiracy. Thereafter, the court directed the complainant to produce evidence in the case.
