Portuguese activist detained in eastern Libya during humanitarian convoy to Gaza

A convoy of more than 350 volunteers from 30 countries left Mauritania to deliver aid to Gaza by land. An advanced group of ten activists, including Portuguese citizen Ana Margarida França Santana Baptista, a Spanish, a Polish, an American, two Argentines, a Uruguayan, a Tunisian and two Italians, was detained by forces loyal to Marshal Khalifa Haftar in eastern Libya and has been out of contact since Sunday.

The Global Sumud Land movement, which organized the convoy, said the detainees were negotiating passage through Haftar‑controlled territory when the authorities blocked them. It called for urgent intervention by the Portuguese and Libyan governments to secure the activists’ release and protect their physical and psychological integrity. Italy’s vice‑prime minister and foreign minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that two Italians from the group were transferred to Benghazi and are expected to return soon. The Portuguese foreign ministry has not yet responded to requests for information. The convoy had departed from Zwaiya near Tripoli, heading toward Sirte, with a planned arrival in the Gaza Strip around 15 May.