7/5/2026 – Union for Justice Foundation
The name of activist Thiago Ávila came into the spotlight as one of the heroes of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was heading to break the blockade on Gaza. Ávila, along with all participants aboard the Sumud flotilla, was arrested by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Attorney Lubna Touma, from the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah), and a member of the defense team representing the two activists, explained that the Israeli army separated Ávila and Abu Keshk from the 170 activists aboard the intercepted flotilla and transferred them by sea to Israeli territory.
She added that the two activists were subjected to serious violations, including torture, violence, verbal humiliation, and spitting. They were reportedly forced to lie face down with their heads pressed to the ground while blindfolded throughout the ordeal. Touma noted that Ávila lost consciousness twice as a result of the violence.
According to Touma, upon their arrival in Israel, the two activists were transferred to the Israeli Prison Service and detained in Ashkelon’s “Shikma” Prison before being interrogated.
She further explained that the defense team visited the prison last Saturday to provide legal consultation to the two activists and requested access to the allegations against them before offering legal advice. However, this request was denied. Touma stated that the accusations were only officially disclosed during the court hearing for the extension of their detention.
Who is Thiago Ávila?
Thiago Ávila is a Brazilian activist born in the capital, Brasília, in 1986. He lives with his wife and their approximately one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. For more than twenty years, he has been engaged in solidarity activism primarily focused on supporting the Palestinian cause and participating in cross-border humanitarian initiatives.
Ávila began his public activism at an early stage through campaigns related to social justice and environmental issues before gradually becoming involved in international solidarity work. He later became part of networks and campaigns dedicated to attempts to break the blockade on Gaza. Over more than two decades, Ávila moved between human rights activism and maritime solidarity initiatives, eventually becoming a member of the steering committee of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international network seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.
His current detention constitutes his second experience of imprisonment in Israeli prisons. During a previous attempt to break the blockade on Gaza approximately seven months ago, Ávila was also arrested along with his colleagues in international waters. Before Israel deported him, he endured harsh conditions in Israeli prisons, where he went on a hunger strike and refused to sign deportation papers.
Today, Thiago Ávila is regarded as one of the most prominent symbols of “maritime solidarity activism” in Latin America, after his name became associated with a series of initiatives aimed at breaking the blockade on Gaza by sea. This has placed him at the center of international debate concerning the limits of humanitarian action and the legitimacy of civilian initiatives in conflict zones.
Thiago Ávila Inside Israeli Prisons
On 3/5/2026, an Israeli court in Ashkelon extended the detention of Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, a participant in the Global Sumud Flotilla, for an additional two days, according to a human rights center representing him. Ávila appeared in court in handcuffs after being arrested by Israel in international waters last Thursday along with dozens of activists of various nationalities who were aboard approximately 20 vessels belonging to the Sumud Flotilla, which sought to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Israel transferred most of the activists to Crete, where they were disembarked following an agreement with the Greek authorities, except for activists Ávila and Abu Keshk. Israeli authorities accused Thiago Ávila of “working with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad” and alleged that he was “suspected of involvement in illegal activities,” according to statements issued by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Adalah Human Rights Organization stated that Ávila and Abu Keshk provided testimonies describing “severe physical violence, including beatings, solitary confinement, and being blindfolded for days at sea.”
It added: “The two activists continue their hunger strike in protest against their detention and unlawful treatment.”
Agence France-Presse also reported that an Israeli court had extended the detention of Sumud Flotilla activists Thiago Ávila and Saif Abu Keshk until next Sunday under the pretext of completing investigations.
Thiago Ávila’s Wife Calls for Immediate Action to Secure His Release from Israeli Prisons
Lara Souza, the wife of Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, expressed deep concern and distress over her husband’s condition and seeing him shackled inside the Israeli courtroom, describing the situation as extremely difficult. She called on everyone to mobilize all possible efforts to secure his release and return him to his family, emphasizing that Ávila has never been part of any terrorist group, but rather organizes humanitarian efforts on behalf of people suffering from genocide.
She added that “delivering humanitarian aid is not cooperation with the enemy; it is a right of the Palestinian people who are facing genocide,” stressing that Israel is committing a war crime by preventing people from obtaining food and medical care.
She further explained that the humanitarian work carried out by her husband and his efforts to deliver aid to the Palestinian people are actions that everyone in the world should undertake. She revealed that communications are ongoing with the Brazilian, Spanish, Swedish, and Italian governments. She noted, however, that she does not possess many concrete answers beyond assurances from these governments that they are doing everything possible and attempting to negotiate the return of the activists detained in Israel.
It is worth noting that Thiago Ávila sent a message to his daughter from inside Israeli prisons, stating: “My struggle against the genocide in Gaza is a historic duty to build a safer world for children. Do not forget Palestine.”
The Union for Justice Foundation believes that Israel is not only waging war against Palestinians, but is also seeking to confront the entire world in pursuit of the destruction of the Palestinian people. Through the prosecution of foreign activists, Israel seeks to spread fear and intimidation among all those attempting to support the Palestinian people and advocate for their cause.
The Union for Justice Foundation also calls on all international and human rights organizations to defend the activists of the Global Sumud Flotilla and to secure their immediate release.
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