President in Contact with Security Forces over Citizen Held by Israel

Bratislava, 2 October (TASR) – President Peter Pellegrini is in contact with Slovak security services regarding reports that a Slovak citizen may have been detained by Israeli forces during a maritime trip to the Gaza Strip, the President's Office told TASR on Thursday. According to the website of the Global Sumud flotilla, Slovak national Peter Svestka was reportedly on board one of the ships stopped by Israeli forces. The flotilla aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza and break the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave in place since 2007. „If the information is confirmed, the President believes that the relevant state authorities will do everything possible to assist this Slovak citizen," the statement from the President's Office reads. Israeli naval forces halted most of the flotilla's vessels on Wednesday evening. Crew members are being transported to the port of Ashdod and will be deported back to Europe. The whereabouts of Svestka remain unknown at this time. Human rights organisation Amnesty International has called on the Slovak government to urgently ensure Svestka’s safety and release. The Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs announced on Thursday morning that it is in close contact with Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the halted vessels and has been actively engaged through the Slovak Embassy in Tel Aviv since Wednesday evening. mf