Foreign Ministry confirms the release of Alicia Armesto, the Spanish activist from the Flotilla detained a month ago in Libya

Eduardo González Alicia Armesto, the Spanish activist from the Global Sumud Land flotilla who was detained on May 24 by authorities in eastern Libya, has been released and is now flying to Spain, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced on Wednesday. “Good news: Alicia Armesto has finally been released and is currently on her way back to Spain to reunite with her family and friends,” Albares stated in an audio message released by the Ministry. “I want to thank everyone for their support and all the efforts made by the Spanish Embassy and Consulate in Libya, and also, of course, by the Ministry's central services, especially the Directorate General for Consular Affairs,” he added. Foreign Ministry sources later clarified that “Alicia Armesto has already left Libya after being released and is flying to Spain.” The activist, they continued, “will make a stopover in Istanbul where she is awaited by staff from the Spanish Embassy and Consulate.” “The Embassy, the Spanish Consulate in Libya, and the central services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have worked tirelessly to secure this release, which we celebrate,” they concluded. Later on Wednesday afternoon, sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that “Alicia Armesto is now flying to Madrid from Istanbul, where she had a layover after her release in Libya.” “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the return home of this Spanish citizen and reiterates its gratitude to the Ministry's central services and to the Spanish diplomatic missions in Libya and Turkey, where Alicia Armesto was assisted by the Consulate General upon her arrival,” they emphasized. Alicia Armesto was arrested along with a dozen colleagues on May 24 by authorities in eastern Libya while negotiating permission to cross the area with humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Sumud Global Land Convoy (comprised of 230 participants from more than 20 countries, including doctors, engineers, educators, lawyers, and eco-builders, along with seven ambulances, 20 mobile homes, and ten trucks) was traveling through North Africa, in coordination with the Sumud Global Flotilla's maritime mission, to deliver humanitarian supplies to the civilian population of Gaza. According to the Flotilla, the convoy had permission from Egyptian authorities to cross the country on its journey from Mauritania to the Rafah Crossing. However, when the group was still near the Libyan city of Sirte, the organizers received a public statement on May 14 from the authorities in eastern Libya demanding that they transfer the humanitarian aid to the Libyan Red Crescent Society and informing them that only Libyan citizens could escort the aid to the Sallum border crossing, “attributing these orders to the Egyptian authorities.” “In good faith and in accordance with the moral responsibility to ensure that vital aid and specialists reach the besieged population of Gaza as soon as possible,” the Land Convoy agreed five days later to transfer the humanitarian aid to the Libyan Red Crescent, which would guarantee its delivery through the Rafah crossing. However, when the agreed deadline passed without any response from the authorities or the Libyan Red Crescent Society, a ten-member negotiating delegation traveled to the area on May 24 to discuss the terms previously agreed upon with the eastern Libyan authorities. Once there, they were ordered to board unmarked white vans and travel to an unknown location. “Communication with the negotiators was immediately cut off, and no information about their situation was known until the eastern Libyan authorities announced their detention the following day,” when they were accused of violating “entry permit procedures.”

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