Law centre threatens government with legal action for abandoning UK flotilla crew

The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), which exists to “challenge systemic injustice through legal representation, strategic litigation, research and legal education”, has threatened the Starmer government with legal action for its refusal to do anything to protect British citizens against Israel’s attacks on humanitarian aid flotillas and abduction of their volunteer crews from many nations, including Britain.

In a short press release, PILC says that:

Update: British government threatened with legal proceedings for its inaction over citizens detained by Israel.

Our clients, 3 British nationals aboard the Thousand Madleens (TM) flotilla, were seized by Israeli forces in the early hours of 8 October while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Legal challenge for UK gov over flotilla

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and TM fleet were the latest victims in a long line of Israel’s attacks and abductions in international waters, most notably the almost fifty boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla last week. Many of the abducted volunteers have been beaten, psychologically tortured and ritually humiliated, and all have been deprived of food, clean water and sanitation.

Despite the UK government’s clear obligations under international law to protect its citizens from attack, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that the Starmer regime intends to do nothing, adding that as far as Starmer is concerned the abductions are “a matter for the Israeli government”.

The government is also in court today over its continued sale of parts to Israel for the F-35 strike jets it has used to slaughter Palestinian civilians throughout its two-year genocide in Gaza. The occupation has murdered almost 700,000 civilians, including almost 400,000 children under five years of age.

Israel is also holding more than 11,000 Palestinian civilians in indefinite detention without charge. Many are tortured and starved; the bodies of those who die from the abuse are often withheld so their families cannot even bury them and grieve.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Guardian News