John Klusmire, the captain of the Audacity of Hope, had attempted to leave a port near Piraeus Friday in defiance of a Greek ban on the flotilla of boats leaving port.
Klusmire was detained last Saturday for endangering sea traffic and the lives of passengers, and misdemeanor counts of sailing without a permit and violating port authority orders. He was held in detention for five days.
Following Klusmire’s release, American activists who had gone on a hunger strike in front of the American Embassy in Greece in protest of Klusmire’s detention and interventions in the flotilla boats, ended hunger strike.
The Greek court also released Canadian activists Sandra Ruth and Soha Kneen from the boat, the Tahrir, of the Canada Boat to Gaza and Australian activist Micheal Coleman.
The moment Tahrir set sail from the Greek port, it was stopped by Greek coastal security and three activists known as “Tahrir trio,” were arrested over charges of blocking Greek commandoes who attempted to raid Tahrir.
Australian activists on board the Tahrir who made a statement following the release of their friends said: “Australians tasted the Israeli blockade in Greece,” while they called on Australian government to oppose to Greek interventions in the flotilla ships.