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Viva Palestina Tunisian arrests update

Confusion still surrounds the reported detention of seven convoy members in Tunisia. According to the Viva Palestina website all is now well. Two vehicles had become 'detached' from the convoy and 'the two women and the men who were also in the two vehicles are now in Libya'. Muslim News concurs, reporting on Thursday that the convoy volunteers are now safe and in Libya.

Muslim News also points out that the convoy organisers have not lodged a protest with the Tunisian authorities which fits with the statement on the Viva Palestina website: 'we hope that this incident has now been resolved...that the convoy would like to stay out of any local politics and just highlight the plight of the Palestinian people'.

On Thursday the British Foreign Office told Muslim News they did not know about the incident but later confirmed with Gaza Solidarity that seven British citizens were being detained and consular assistance was being provided.

The Tunisian Embassy today denied that there had been any arrests. The spokesman said some vehicles had got lost and everything was okay now. The Foreign Office was still trying to establish with the British Consulate in Tunisia exactly what had taken place in the incident.

Mahnaz Bahaji, 53, one of the detained sent a text message to Ahmed Versi, the editor of The Muslim News, at the time of the incident, triggering the subsequent alarm. It read: “We have been kidnapped by the police. We don’t know where we are going. Pray for us please.” Thankfully it now appears that they have now been released along with the men who were traveling with them.

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