![[Freelance]](../gif/fl3H.png)
We demand swift and safe release of Yanis Mhamdi
AT ITS MEETING last night (9 June 2025) London Freelance Branch of the National Union of Journalists passed the following motion:
This Branch notes that among the 12 detained by the state of Israel last night on the ship the Madleen are two journalists: Omar Faiad of Al Jazeera; and Yanis Mhamdi of Blast in Paris. This afternoon Al Jazeera reported that they are being held in solitary confinement and in isolation.
The Branch calls on the General Secretary, the National Executive and the International Federation of Journalists to do everything possible and necessary to ensure their swift and safe release and to condemn their detention.
Both detained journalists are French. Events are moving rapidly. We received a message at 15:30 that Omar Faiad had arrived safely in Paris, possibly on the same flight as Greta Thunberg.
Before receiving our motion the International Federation of Journalists issued a statement:
We condemn the arrest of French journalists @yanmdi.bsky.social & Omar Faiad (@al-jazeera-english.bsky.social), who were on board the ship Madleen intercepted by Israeli military on 8 June. We hold Israel responsible for their safety and demand their immediate release!
The National Union of Journalists has issued a statement:
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning the Israeli army's arrest of journalists Yanis Mhamdi and Omar Faiad.
...The NUJ is urging the safe and immediate release of Mhamdi, a journalist for online publication Blast and Faiad, an al Jazeera journalist.
Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary, said:
It is incumbent on Israel to ensure the safety of all those detained following the recent interception. As we call for the immediate release of journalists Yanis Mhamdi and Omar Faiad, the NUJ once again urges the Israeli authorities to permit unfettered foreign media access into Gaza, respecting the rights of journalists enshrined in international law.
At 07:15 the French Foreign Minister announced that one of the six detained who are French had agreed to be deported. It turns out, according to our current information, that this was Omar.
Notre consul a pu voir cette nuit les 6 ressortissants français arrêtés par les autorités israéliennes. Leurs proches ont été contactés. L’un d’eux a accepté un départ volontaire et devrait rentrer aujourd’hui. Les cinq autres feront l’objet d’un processus d’expulsion forcée.
Our consul was able to meet with the six French nationals arrested by the Israeli authorities last night. Their relatives have been contacted. One of them has agreed depart voluntarily and is expected to return today. The other five will be subject to a forced expulsion process.
11 June 2025 On Monday night, 9 June, Richard Burgon MP tabled Early Day Motion 1424 which concludes by calling "on the UK Government to uphold its obligation to protect the Madleen and those on board, to secure their immediate release and to act decisively to uphold international law against Israeli’s repeated violations of it, including its forced starvation of the people of Gaza."
Please consider asking your MP to sign this, or congratulate them if they are one of the 45 across several parties who had done so by Wednesday 11 June.
12 June 2025 Yesterday French Foreign Minister announced that the four French nationals remaining in Israeli custody would be deported "tomorrow and the day after " - that is, today and on 13 June. The UPI agency confirmed today that Mark van Rennes of the Netherlands, Suyab Ordu of Turkey, Yasemin Acar of Germany, Thiago Avila of Brazil and Rva Viard and Rima Hassan of France were on their way to the airport.
17 June 2025 It was not in fact until yesterday, 16 June, that Yanis Mhamdi was released and deported from the state of Israel, overland into Jordan.
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