Four pro-Palestinian activists detained in Libya for about a month have been released, the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement on June 4.
The freed individuals are Achraf Khoja (Tunisian), Matias Rodriguez (Uruguayan), Domenico Centrone and Leonarda Alberizia (both Italian). All four have arrived in the Tunisian capital, Tunis. The remaining six are expected to be released within the next 24 hours, the organization added.
In an earlier statement, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the news of the release of the two Italian citizens, adding that they, along with Rodriguez (who also holds Italian nationality), had been handed over to the Italian consulate in Benghazi. Tajani posted on social media platform X that they would return to Italy on June 4.
Last month, more than 400 activists were detained in international waters while aboard several vessels heading to Gaza in an effort to break Israel's blockade of the enclave.
The activists held in Libya were part of a separate group seeking to reach Gaza overland. They had been on a hunger strike to protest their detention, Global Sumud Flotilla said.
According to Amnesty International, on May 24, 2026, an armed group linked to the self-styled Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) of Khalifa Haftar — allied with the de facto authorities in eastern and southern Libya — detained 10 humanitarian activists from eight different countries while they were en route to the city of Sirte to negotiate with local authorities about the passage of their convoy.
The activists sought approval from the authorities for the convoy to continue its journey through Libya and Egypt to reach Gaza. After kidnapping periods ranging from two to nine days, prosecutors interrogated them before ordering their pre-trial detention on charges of 'unlawful assembly,' according to Amnesty.
