Tunisian Activists Rally for Release of ‘Endurance Fleet’ Members
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, dozens of Tunisian activists on Friday rallied in the capital’s Human Rights Square, calling for the release of four members of the Tunisian delegation for the ‘Global Endurance Fleet’ who are still in custody. The gathering was organized at the invitation of the ‘National Committee for the Defense of Endurance Fleet Activists and the Right to Palestine,’ a coalition of several associations including the ‘Tunisian Union for the Defense of Human Rights’. Participants held placards and chanted slogans such as ‘No prison, no chains for the heroes of Endurance’.
Bessam Al-Tarifi, head of the Tunisian Union for the Defense of Human Rights, stated during the rally that three months have passed since the unjust detention of the Endurance Fleet activists, and there is no evidence in their case to substantiate any charges. He added that solidarity with the Palestinian people will not cease and no one can intimidate them from supporting Palestine.
Saied Bouajla, an activist present at the rally, mentioned that seven individuals were initially arrested, and four now remain in detention. He highlighted that these individuals took action and accepted risks to support Palestine when many others remained silent. Bouajla emphasized that the Endurance Fleet activists have acted beyond organizational frameworks and have fought in defense of Palestine.
Tunisian authorities have not yet responded to the rally. Previously, they had emphasized the independence of the judiciary and non-interference in judicial proceedings.
The Tunisian judiciary had ordered the arrest of seven members of the executive board of the ‘Endurance Fleet’ on March 16, on charges of money laundering. These individuals included Wael Nawwar, Nabil El Shanoufi, Ghassan El Henchiri, Ghassan El Boughdiri, Mohamed Amin Bahlounor, Jawaher Chennoufi, and Sanaa El Massaheli. Subsequently, the Tunis court released Sanaa El Massaheli on April 17, and Jawaher Chennoufi was released from detention on April 23. On May 22, the country’s judiciary released Mohamed Amin Bahlounor, a physician and member of the board, after 78 days in custody.
The ‘Global Endurance Fleet’ initiative began in late August 2025 with the dispatch of several ships towards the Gaza Strip, an effort aimed at breaking the siege that the Israeli regime has imposed on the region since 2006 and intensified during the recent conflict. As the fleet’s ships approached the shores of Gaza, the Israeli regime’s army arrested all activists on board and subsequently returned them to their home countries.
