Yet another investigation was filed against Israel in South Africa due to its raid of the ships of the Freedom Flotilla in 2010.
The South African Police Service and the National Attorney General of the Republic have launched the investigation against Israel’s Mavi Marmara raid, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The investigation was launched at the request of lawyers of journalist Davids Gadeja, 27, who participated in the Freedom Flotilla. Gadeja’s lawyers filed the request in January 2011.
Gadeja’s lawyers announced that South African Police Service and the National Attorney General of the Republic accepted their client’s request for a criminal investigation and review and investigate the attack.
Ziyaad Patel, one of the journalist’s lawyers, said that his client and her companions have been subjected to inhuman treatment by the Israeli commandos, which is considered a crime against humanity and a war crime according to Sections 1 and 3 of the Charter of Rome. Patel also said Gadeja’s hands were tied with plastic cables, he was forced to sit under sun for hours, placed in an Israeli prison and prevented from receiving help from the consulate of South Africa.
“The United Nations prepared a report on Sept. 27, 2011 about Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara. According to the UN report, Israeli forces violated the international law both during its attack on the Mavi Marmara aid ship and afterwards,” said a statement from Gadeja’s lawyers.
‘The conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate to the occasion but demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. It is impossible to legitimize or defend such a conduct out of security reasons or other reasons. These actions seriously violated the international law and human rights law,” the statement said quoting the UN report.
The statement from Gadeja’s lawyers also noted that South African Police Service and the National Attorney General of the Republic announced that they found following negotiations that there is necessary ground for the investigation of the attack.
Gadeja joined the flotilla to cover news about the aid to be taken to Gaza and make interviews with the people in Gaza who suffer from the Israeli blockade. Expressing his views about the South African authorities’ decision to launch an investigation against Israel, he said: “These developments have strengthened my belief and confidence in South Africa’s commitment to protect human rights.”
According to South African laws, a case will be officially filed against Israel after the conclusion of the investigation and a date will be set for the trial.
