Tanya Singh: Hello Nikita, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about your participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla Land Convoy?
Nikita Naidu: Hello, I am Nikita Naidu, and I am from Hyderabad, India. I work on climate change and regenerative justice.
Ten of us were supposed to join the sea convoy from Turkey, but because of health, legal, and visa rejection, and risk analysis reasons, we couldn’t go. Then we learned, almost at the last minute, about the land convoy for which three of us were ready, but due to a health emergency, only I could join the Global Sumud Land Convoy from West Libya.
The main risks that we were briefed on were that Egypt might deny us entry at the Libya/Egypt border or at the Rafah crossing. While we were prepared for that, we didn’t expect the violence at our camp near the checkpoint between West and East Libya. Then, the eastern authorities invited 10 people from our convoy in supposed good faith, only to use them as political hostages. Once we received verified information from multiple sources on 22 May that violence and abduction would follow our journey, a few of us decided to leave the camp on 23 May. We knew that due to negligible diplomatic relations and lack of local legal representation, holding the eastern Libyan authorities accountable would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.
From the beginning, though, I had complete clarity: I joined to draw global attention to the situation in Palestine, hold accountable the states fuelling this oppression, by challenging the Gaza blockade with civilian aid to expose violations of international laws. We also had legal observers and war crimes investigators to document military actions and enable further diplomatic pressure, and the convoy wanted to provide whatever humanitarian support it could. Reports indicate that their detention has been extended, while legal representatives continue to seek official documentation clarifying the legal basis and duration of their detention
TS: Where are those ten members of your convoy now?
NN: The ten volunteers were travelling in a clearly marked ambulance to negotiate safe passage for the overland humanitarian convoy carrying specialised aid intended for delivery through the Rafah crossing. They were seized at the checkpoint between western and eastern Libya and taken as political hostages by the Eastern Internal Security Agency (ISA), operating under the Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF). They were flown to Benghazi and are being held at an undisclosed location.
For more than 20 days, they have been arbitrarily detained with limited consular access, no clear legal status, and no direct communication with their families. There are no charges against them. The families remain in painful uncertainty with no timeline for release. This continued detention of unarmed humanitarian workers, including two medical doctors, constitutes a serious violation of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the protections afforded to humanitarian personnel.
This was a journey of shared responsibility and our singular need to do whatever we can for the people of Gaza. Members of our convoy were invited into eastern Libya in good faith to negotiate safe passage for the land convoy so we could deliver much-needed humanitarian aid. This aid is needed now more than ever, as Israel has once again closed all borders and halted all entry of supplies amid its ongoing wars. Our friends have been held as political hostages since 24 May, and we received information that their detention has reportedly been extended for 30 days, according to communication to families and diplomatic channels, while legal representatives continue to seek official documentation. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.
The detained volunteers are:
Alicia Armesto Nuñez (Spain), Laura Kwoczała (Poland), Jenelle Jones (USA), Dr. Maria Paula Giménez (Argentina), Dr. Lucas Ezequiel Aguilera (Argentina), Matias Alvarez Rodriguez (Uruguay), Ana Margarida França Santana Baptista (Portugal), Ashraf Khoja (Tunisia), Domenico Centrone (Italy), and Leonarda Alberizia (Italy).
We also reiterate our call to end the siege on Gaza. We have also communicated with the Libyan Embassy in India and the Secretariat of BRICS to immediately negotiate the release of the 10 humanitarians captured by the authorities of eastern Libya.
Citizens can also contact the Libyan embassy, foreign ministry, and government officials to demand their immediate release. Organize public actions, vigils, demonstrations, and acts of solidarity. Share information about the political hostages to amplify the call for their release. Free the 10 volunteers now!
TS: India is one of the largest buyers of Israeli arms and also a vocal supporter of the regime. How do you see your participation in this civil disobedience action with New Delhi’s official position that opposes the blockade but also maintains close strategic ties with Israel?
NN: As an Indian citizen, it is my constitutional right to speak out and take a stand against injustice anywhere in the world. My participation displayed that an ordinary Indian civilian supports the Palestinian people in their fight against erasure, genocide, and colonisation, regardless of the government’s strategic ties with Israel.
I joined the GSF mission because the only thought I had in my head while watching the atrocities being committed against Palestinians was to be able to somehow walk into Gaza and help them fight the advance at the epicenter of 21st-century colonialism as I see it. Indian government decisions are for the government to explain and not for me to consider when I make humanitarian choices. Regardless of what the Indian government’s stance is, others like me would still want to join a mission like this.
Before I embarked on this convoy, we had alerted the Indian embassies in Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt about my participation in the global relief land convoy. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and several leading MPs who strongly support Palestine were also informed. We stayed in touch with legal and political experts to navigate any scenarios that might arise.
TS: Nelson Mandela drew direct parallels between the struggles of Indians, South Africans, and Palestinians. How do you see the Indian delegation's presence in this flotilla and land convoy as a signifier of the internationalist struggle of Palestinians against colonialism and apartheid? In what ways does your participation aim to revive or strengthen that historical legacy of solidarity among formerly colonized nations?
NN: All of us standing together, delegates from South Africa, Chile, Palestine, and India, show that the Palestinian struggle against colonialism and apartheid is not isolated. It’s part of a broader, ongoing pattern. Colonisation didn’t end; it has simply evolved into new and more brutal forms, which we’re witnessing in real time.
Our shared histories of resistance and connected futures compel us to act concretely, breaking the siege on Gaza and delivering vital humanitarian aid. This participation aims to revive and strengthen the historic legacy of Global South solidarity and anti-colonial internationalism. It reaffirms that the collective struggle for dignity and self-determination transcends borders and must be carried forward through unified, decentralised action like this.
Photo courtesy of Nikita Naidu.
