WNI Global Sumud Flotilla Volunteers will undergo Visa and Health Tests before Returning Home

Indonesian citizen who was released by Israel while making a video call with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono upon arrival in Istanbul. (Instagram@menluri)

JAKARTA - Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are volunteers in the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission will undergo visas and health checks, after being arrested by Israel, before returning to their homeland.

Nine Indonesian citizens who were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission were taken to Israel, after the ship carrying them was intercepted by the Israeli Navy commandos while sailing to the Gaza Strip, Palestine on Monday in Cypriot waters.

Thursday night, Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono announced the release of all Indonesian citizens. They left the Israeli territory for Istanbul, Turkey.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Turkey, Achmad Rizal Purnama, revealed that the Indonesian citizens would undergo health checks and visas before returning home.

"There will be a process of testimony, visa and health tests by the Turkish side and we will immediately return to the homeland if the process in Turkey is completed," he explained in a brief statement, as quoted on Friday (22/5).

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Consul General in Istanbul, Darianto Harsono, said that the Indonesian citizens who were released had arrived in Istanbul. In a video on social media shared by the Instagram account @Menluri, he revealed that the Indonesian citizens "are in good health, although they have experienced physical violence, kicked, beaten or shocked."

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sugiono, also made a video call with the Indonesian citizens upon their arrival in Istanbul.

"The Indonesian government will continue to ensure that the repatriation process of all Indonesian citizens to the country runs smoothly and can return safely and as soon as possible," said the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As previously reported, Israeli naval commandos intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian convoy that left Turkey last week, with the aim of the Gaza Strip, Palestine, to break through the Israeli naval blockade to provide humanitarian aid.

The interception in Cypriot waters was followed by the arrest of 430 humanitarian activists in the fleet, who were then taken to Israel, as reported by Al Arabiya from AFP.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yvonne Mewengkang, said in a statement on Wednesday that, according to information from the Global Peace Convoy Indonesia (GPCI), nine Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were part of the mission, were among the activists arrested by Israel.

GPCI itself in its official statement last week said that the nine Indonesian citizens who were part of this humanitarian mission were, Ust. Herman Budianto Sudarsono and Ronggo Wirasanu on the Zapyro ship, Andi Angga Prasadewa on the Josef ship, As'ad Aras Muhammad on the Kasr-1 ship, Hendro Prasetyo on the Kasr-1 ship, Bambang Noroyono on the BoraLize ship, Thoudy Badai Rifan Billah on the Ozgurluk ship, Andre Prasetyo Nugroho on the RIM ship, and Rahendro Herubowo on the Ozgurluk ship.

The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously also condemned Israel's inhumane actions against Global Sumud Flotilla activists who were detained and subjected to arbitrary treatment.

"The Indonesian government once again reiterates its condemnation of the inhumane treatment received by volunteers during their detention. Actions that degrade the dignity of civilians in a humanitarian mission are serious violations of international humanitarian law that cannot be tolerated," said Foreign Minister Sugiono.

Before this week's interception, Israeli forces intercepted a second flotilla in international waters off the coast of Greece on April 30 and sent most of the 175 activists to Europe, but arrested two of them, who were held for 10 days before being deported.

Last year, Israeli authorities blocked a similar attempt involving about 50 ships and about 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, and several European parliamentarians.