Former editor of Welsh newspaper ‘missing’ after being kidnapped from flotilla by Israel

Martin Shipton

A former editor of the Wales on Sunday newspaper has gone missing after being kidnapped by Israel in international waters together with many other pro-Palestine activists taking humanitarian aid by ship to Gaza.

Yvonne Ridley, who edited the paper in the mid-1990s before moving on to work for UK-wide papers in London, living in a flat in Westgate Street, Cardiff, became a well-known figure in 2001 when she was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the time she was the chief reporter of the Sunday Express and had crossed the border from Pakistan to report undercover in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

She was released shortly before a US-led occupying force entered Afghanistan in a bid to track down Osama Bin Laden, who masterminded the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, near Washington DC. Later Ms Ridley kept a promise to the Taliban and converted to Islam, becoming a well-known TV presenter and pundit throughout the Muslim world.

She has also been a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause for decades, and decided to join the Global Simud Flotilla of ships that had hoped to deliver urgently needed supplies to Gaza.

Intercepted

Before it reached Gaza, however, the flotilla was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces and the activists on board were taken to Israel, where they were held in custody.

Organisers of the flotilla had been told she would be repatriated via Istanbul, but on Sunday evening it appeared that she had gone missing during the transfer of her and other activists to Turkey. Her current whereabouts are unknown.

Ms Ridley, 67, had been held at the infamous Ketziot prison, where she was on hunger strike and reportedly denied access to her regular medication.

She was granted consular access on Friday, during which officials described her detention conditions as “deeply concerning.”

‘Intimidating’ treatment

Her family has been informed that she has faced “aggressive” and “intimidating” treatment while in custody.

Reports indicate that Israeli prison staff confiscated her medication and offered substitutes, which Ridley refused to take.

She was among nearly 500 participants in the historic flotilla mission seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Israeli military seized over 40 boats and detained the activists, transferring them to Israeli-occupied territories.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised the military for its interception of the Sumud Flotilla, despite its operation taking place in international waters.

Many of the detained activists were sent to Ketziot prison in the Negev desert, a facility known for documented human rights violations.

On Friday, far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the prison, where he reiterated his stance that the flotilla activists should be treated as “terrorists” and imprisoned for “a few months”.

During his visit, the imprisoned activists confronted Ben-Gvir and chanted “Free Palestine” directly at him.

Intervention

On Monday Massoud Shadjareh, Chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, wrote to Prime Minister Keir Starmer demanding that he secure the release of the remaining detainees, including Ms Ridley.

He stated in his letter: “We are writing to demand your immediate intervention to establish the whereabouts and safety of British nationals abducted by Israeli forces last week while attempting to break the siege of Gaza as part of the Sumud freedom flotilla.

“Several UK citizens were seized by Israeli soldiers after they stormed the vessels in international waters last week. Along with dozens of other activists who include Greta Thunberg, they were arrested and taken into custody.

“Multiple reports have emerged from those arrested and later released that they were subjected to violent beatings, verbal abuse and in some cases also deprived of medicine, food and water. Some activists have reported having their passports confiscated.

“Families of the UK activists, who include the journalist and politician Yvonne Ridley, have not heard anything of their loved ones for several days and seem to be getting little support from government officials.

“We are aghast that your government should stand idly by and watch British citizens being mistreated in this way, hiding behind hollow expressions of ‘concern’. It is a dereliction of your fundamental duty to protect British citizens that you cannot do more than pay lip service to their safety, let alone uphold international law.

“We demand that you condemn this act of international piracy by Israel in the strongest possible terms, warn against further maltreatment of British citizens, and demand the immediate release and return of all British activists on pain of sanctions against Tel Aviv.”

A spokes person from the Foreign, Commonwealth and International Development Office said: “We are supporting a number of British nationals who have been detained in Israel and are in touch with the local authorities.”