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© Road to Hope
Irish Gaza aid activist Ken O'Keefe has been abducted along with companions and a dozen Libyan policemen by the captain of their chartered ship (which was supposed to transport the activists and their cargo of humanitarian aid to Al-Arish port in Egypt, from where the convoy would continue their journey by land to the besieged people of Gaza). The captain apparently pulled out of port in such a hurry that mooring ropes were snapped and one of the convoy's vehicles was left stranded at a 45 degree angle on the ship's loading ramp. Somebody, it seems, got to him at the last minute. The 'Road to Hope' organisation had paid $75,000 to the captain to sail their cargo of humanitarian aid to Egypt. Below O'Keefe speaks to Hasan Ghada of Press TV about the incident.

According to Ken's facebook updates, the aid workers are now being held by Greek authorities on suspicion of terrorism, even though it was THEY who were abducted from Libya!


Website IrritateTheState.net has more on this developing story:
In an attempt to discredit the works of humanitarian aid efforts on the part of the "Road to Hope" convoy, the "lame-stream" media has attempted to put its own spin on a story some three days in the making. On Wednesday we received word that the convoy's mission was in danger as the result of a financial disagreement between organizers and the ships captain and owners. The Strophades IV then left the port abruptly with 10 members of the convoy on board and 7 Libyans (including officials). As the video shows, the ship left the port without following standard protocol and leaving the rear hatch of the vessel open with one of the convoy's vehicles still on the ramp.


The ship arrived at port today in Greece, and the aid workers have now been accused by the ships captain of being "terrorists" and claiming the vessel was hijacked by the convoy. Currently the aid workers are still on-board and being detained without charges.

The most recent statement from those held on-board states:
We have been kidnapped at the Libyan port of Derna, by the Captain and crew of the Strophades IV. The Captain and crew have since left and the Greek authorities are now holding us hostage on board the Strophades IV.

Ten of us are being held ...at gunpoint by a... Greek SWAT team, in a small room 8x8ft. We have been told if we move we will be shot. We have requested sleeping facilities, showering facilities, access to telephones/internet and consular assistance - all have been denied. In the last 48 hours we have had one tin of coke and one sandwich to eat. We have had no access to water other than that in the toilets. We have to ask permission to do anything, including using toilets. We have no status. We do not know the nature of the charges we are being held under and feel extremely vulnerable. We ask that everyone please put pressure on the Greek government and demand that they end this nightmare. We want the Greek authorities to release us and allow us safe passage to Libya, where we can join the remaining members of the Road to hope convoy and proceed with humanitarian aid to Palestine.
A recent Facebook post by Tauqir "Tox" Sharif reads:
HELP!!! I have been arrested and detained along with the other 9 convoy members on the Boat. We need every1′s help plz contact all media sources and let them know that the greek authorities are trying to charge us for illegally occupying the boat when we were the Kidnapped. We are being treate...d very badly by the greek authorities.We are being held HOSTAGE!

Organizers are asking that people please call and write their local Greek Embassy and demand the immediate release of the aid workers and that they be allowed to return to Libya to reunite with the rest of the convoy and continue on their mission.