After his deportation from Israel.. Brazilian activist Thiago Avila recounts details of his torture

Brazilian activist Thiago Avila arrived in São Paulo on Monday, following the Israeli occupation authorities' decision to deport him after a ten-day detention period. Upon his arrival at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, Avila stated that he had been subjected to various forms of abuse and torture, describing what happened to him as a full-fledged kidnapping rather than a legal arrest.

Avila clarified in his statements that the violations were not limited to him alone, but also included his companion, Spanish activist Seif Abu Kishk, as they faced harsh conditions inside Israeli detention centers. The Brazilian activist also conveyed painful testimonies of what he witnessed behind bars, confirming that Palestinian prisoners in adjacent cells are subjected to more brutal and cruel treatment that exceeds all international conventions.

In the context of legal responses, the occupation authorities rejected the accusations made by the human rights center 'Adalah', which undertook the task of defending the activists before Israeli courts. Israeli sources claimed that all measures taken against international solidarity activists were in accordance with the law, which was denied by the Brazilian and Spanish governments, who considered the detention an illegal and blatant transgression.

Avila and Abu Kishk had participated in the second 'Global Freedom Flotilla', which set sail from the Spanish coast on April 12th. The flotilla aims to try to break the unjust naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for years, and to deliver urgent humanitarian and relief aid to the besieged population suffering from severe living crises.

Sources reported that Israeli naval forces intercepted the flotilla at sea and prevented it from proceeding towards its destination, where Avila and Abu Kishk were arrested and transferred to the occupied territories. At the same time, the occupation authorities diverted the course of more than a hundred other international activists who were on board the ships, forcibly deporting them to the Greek island of Crete.

Both activists faced serious security charges brought against them by the Israeli prosecution, including 'aiding the enemy' and 'communicating with terrorist organizations', accusations that the activists completely denied before the court. After international and human rights pressure, the authorities decided to release them last Saturday and hand them over to immigration departments in preparation for their expulsion from the country.

A crowd of solidarity activists and campaigners welcomed Avila at the airport, raising banners demanding that the Brazilian government cut diplomatic ties with Israel in response to its crimes. For his part, Avila called on the international community to work seriously to defeat those he described as 'war criminals', specifically mentioning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the policies supporting him.

Israel kidnapped me, and I was not a prisoner. My return today is merely a correction of a serious legal and humanitarian violation.