Calls for the release of 10 activists from the Global Sumud Land Convoy detained in eastern Libya for nearly three weeks have escalated, as Benghazi authorities issued their first detailed response to mounting criticism, framing the case as part of ongoing judicial investigations and alleging the detainees provided “support for Hamas.”
The Maghreb Sumud Organization launched a "10/10" solidarity campaign on Thursday calling for 10 consecutive hours of social media posts demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the activists, who are part of a convoy of more than 200 members seeking to reach Rafah and deliver aid to Gaza.
“Today is Day 19 of detention for the Global Relief Convoy activists—19 days without any communication with their families,” the pro-Palestinian group said Thursday.
The Global Sumud Flotilla said it had “urgent diplomatic and legal concern” over reports that the detention had been extended by a further 30 days. The 10 volunteers are being held by the Internal Security Agency in eastern Libya, which operates under the de facto authority of the Libyan National Army. "GSF has not yet received official written confirmation of the extension order and is urgently seeking legal documentation," it said.
“GSF has not yet received official written confirmation of the extension order and is urgently seeking legal documentation,” it said in a Thursday statement.
Hunger strike and health concern
Amnesty International reported Tuesday that the detainees were subjected to enforced disappearance for periods ranging from two to nine days following their arrest, and are facing deteriorating health conditions inside the Internal Security Agency detention facility in Benghazi.
The detainees, aged between 30 and 70, went on hunger strike to protest their detention and the denial of access to lawyers and family members. Amnesty said the ISA denied one detainee consistent access to diabetes medication. Several detainees suffered from low blood sugar, with some losing consciousness and one experiencing a seizure.
Amnesty also quoted a member of the GSF legal team saying that convoy organisers spent months coordinating with relevant authorities and received assurances guaranteeing safe passage.
“The judiciary decides”
Yusuf Saad, an adviser to the foreign minister in the administration aligned with the Libyan National Army led by Khalifa Haftar, told the Mexican newspaper El Financiero that the case is now before the Libyan judiciary and that executive authorities do not interfere in its proceedings.
“The judiciary is the one that decides; neither the commander, nor I, nor the foreign minister can move anything. This is decided by the judiciary. These people were supporting terrorist groups,” he said.
Saad said the public prosecution is investigating the detainees on allegations related to “support for Hamas,” adding that Libyan authorities consider the group a “terrorist organization,” and that the investigation includes reviewing the contents of their mobile phones.
Authorities had initially announced the detentions on the grounds that convoy members failed to complete the required permits for movement through official border crossings and checkpoints. The public prosecutor in Benghazi later ordered a 30-day extension of their detention on Sunday, according to El Financiero.
Libyan authorities have rejected the convoy organisers' account that prior approvals had been secured. Saad said authorities offered to transfer the aid to Palestinians via the Red Cross, but that participants insisted on entering a restricted area.
A diplomatic case
The detainees include nationals of Spain, Italy, the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal, Poland, and Tunisia, among them six women, making this a multi-country diplomatic issue.
“The Trump administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans,” a US State Department spokesperson said in an email response to Al Manassa, adding that the department visits detained Americans when feasible. The spokesperson declined to comment on the specific case of a female detainee, citing privacy considerations.
Uruguay's foreign ministry told Al Manassa on Monday that it is closely monitoring the situation and actively following the case of its citizen Matías Álvarez. No response had been received from the ministries of Italy, Spain, or Libya at the time of publication.
Italy's foreign ministry said its consul general in Benghazi visited the two Italian nationals on Wednesday, facilitated their communication with their families, and requested that authorities grant the convoy's appointed legal counsel access to them.
The case dates to late May, when Libyan authorities detained several convoy participants near the “5+5” security checkpoint in Sirte while they were attempting to continue their journey toward the Egyptian border. The land convoy was launched in parallel with the maritime Global Sumud Flotilla, which Israel intercepted in April. At the time, State Department spokesperson Tom Pigott condemned what he described as a “pro-Hamas initiative” and called on US allies to prevent participating vessels from docking or refuelling.
