Italy appeals for release of hunger-striking Flotilla activists in Libya

By Mirko Miorelli

ROME, June 5 (Reuters) - Italy appealed on Friday for the release of two Italian pro-Palestinian campaigners detained in eastern Libya who, along with eight other activists, had been refusing food and water for four days.

Israeli forces arrested 430 people on board 50 ships in international waters in May, to halt a flotilla of "Global Sumud Flotilla" volunteers trying to bring aid supplies to the Gaza Strip.

The people held in Libya are part of a separate group of Flotilla activists who tried to reach the Palestinian enclaveby land.

Authorities in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi were not immediately available for comment.

Italian Consul Filippo Colombo has appealed to those authorities for the release of the two Italian nationals and requested permission to visit them, the foreign ministry said.

Ten detainees are now in their fifth day of hunger strike in protest at their detention and mistreatment, Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement on Thursday, adding that their health was rapidly deteriorating.

"A dry hunger strike (refusing to drink as well as eat) is rapidly fatal; without immediate intervention, this humanitarian crisis will turn into a tragedy," the Flotilla said.

The organisation said the volunteers were being held in isolated, non-civilian prison complexes operated by the Libyan Interior Ministry, and were being given contradictory information and false promises of release.

Global Sumud Flotilla demandedimmediate access for independent medical monitors and foreign consular staff and the immediate, unconditional release of all volunteers.

They have been held since May 24, when the delegation approached the city of Sirte to negotiate the safe passage of a humanitarian convoy heading for Gaza with Libyan authorities.

Instead, the group of 10 were arrested for immigration violations.

(Reporting by Mirko Miorelli; editing by Gavin Jones and Kevin Liffey)