Release Shahidul Alam, other humanitarians on the Conscience and the thousands of Palestinians who are being held without trial. End the occupation and genocide in Palestine.
Photo: Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam (bottom left) on board the Conscience. Photo by Ashram: International media on board the Conscience.
Wednesday, October 8th, 2025
We the undersigned demand the immediate and unconditional release of Bangladeshi photographer and activist Shahidul Alam, along with all 91 other media and medical professionals on board the Conscience who have been illegally kidnapped on international waters by the genocidal and apartheid state of Israel, along with the thousands of Palestinians who are being held in Israeli prisons without trial. The Conscience is among the latest ships in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to sail across the Mediterranean Sea with the mission to break the illegal siege on Gaza that Israel has perpetuated for 18 years.
The vessel was carrying journalists and medics. “For nearly two years, the illegal Israel occupation has blocked international journalists from entering Gaza, creating one of the most dangerous press blackouts in modern history. During this time, hundreds of Palestinian journalists have been deliberately targeted and assassinated, while many more have been imprisoned or silenced. This boat is our challenge to that silence.” —Thousand Madleens to Gaza & Freedom Flotilla Coalition
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard these ships,” David Heap, Canadian Boat to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition Steering Committee. “This seizure blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ’s binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. Our volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade. Their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately.”
This assault follows the illegal seizure and unlawful detention of those on the Global Sumud Flotilla, Handala, and Madleen, as well as the Israeli drone attack on the Conscience in European waters earlier this year, which left the vessel disabled and burning. These repeated attacks on unarmed civilians demonstrate Israel’s deliberate escalation and the total failure of governments to enforce international law.
Israel continues to act with total impunity. It has defied the International Court of Justice’s binding orders to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, disregarded international law protecting civilian navigation, and dismissed the demands of millions worldwide calling for an end to the illegal siege and genocide.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens to Gaza demand:
- An end to Israel’s illegal and deadly blockade of Gaza;
- An end to Israel’s genocide of Gaza;
- The immediate release of all abducted volunteers;
- The immediate delivery of humanitarian aid directly to Palestinians,
- independent ofIsraeli control;
- Full accountability for the military assaults on our flotilla boats.
Please sign statement HERE
Undersigned
Rahnuma Ahmed, Dhaka
Saydia Gulrukh, Dhaka
Sofia Karim, London
Arundhati Roy, New Delhi
Vijay Prashad, New York
Kanak Mani Dixit, Kathmandu
Mike van Graan, Cape Town
NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Kathmandu
Kumi Naidoo, Johannesburg
Amar Kanwar, New Delhi
Salima Hashmi, Lahore
Taslima Akhtar, Dhaka
Amrit Wilson, Writer, London
Dr Kalpana Wilson, London
Rachel Spence, London
Mohammed Z Rahman, London
Helen Cammock, UK
Rasheed Araeen, London
Nour Aslam, London
Dr Lata Narayanaswamy, Leeds
Caroline Hossein, Toronto
Clifton D' Rozario, Bangalore
Dr Tanzil Chowdhury, London
Dr Vali Mahlouji, London
Hengameh Golestan, Tehran
Subha Mukherji, London
Khalid Abdallah, London
Brian Palmer, New York
Erin Hollaway Palmer, New York
Simone Rudolphi, Newcastle
Naazish Ata-Ullah, Lahore
Sara Arshad, Lahore
Ahmed Faizan Naveed
Maheen Pracha, Lahore
Sohail Ahmed
Beena Sarwar, Boston/ Karachi
Samina Tanveer
Idrees Hanif
Aamir Butt, Hull
Sarah Ahmad, Tulsa
Khushi Kabir, Dhaka
Tahira Abdullah, Islamabad
Kavita Srivastava, Jaipur
Tabinda Chinoy, Karachi
Tahira Abdullah, Islamabad
Naureen Butt, Destin Florida
Noorjehan Bilgrami, Karachi
Ali Zaidi, London
Laura Luempert, New York
Shahvaar Ali Khan, Lahore
Zahid Hussain, Houston
Nabeela Nazir, Lahore
Sajid Samoon, New York
Shabnam Khan, Lahore
Rehana Shaker, Cambridge
Riaz Datoo, Croydon
Nazia Zaman, Cambridge
M Saleem Chaudhry, Lahore
Sverre Pedersen, Oslo
Dounia Benslimane, Casablanca
Tarık Günersel, Antalya
Rami-Habib Eid-Sabbagh, Berlin
Nadira Kurtha, London
Jess Meakin, Leeds
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, New York
Tatiana Heywood, Manchester
Zaheer Alam Kidvai, Karachi
Fouad Asfour, Johannesburg
Shahana, London
Ayesha Powell, Eastbourne
Nareman Jawaid, Windsor
Rattanamol Singh Johal, Ann Arbor
Immy Humes, NY,
Naazish Ata-Ullah, Lahore
Shahid Altaf, New York
Farid Maharaj, Ajmer Sharif
Suchitra Vijayan, New York
Sara Khan, Lahore
Sher Khan, Peshawar
Swarnamalya Ganesh, Chennai
Sanjoy Hazarika, Shillong
Mukta Lall, New Delhi
Swarna Rajagopalan, Chennai
Kelly Hussey-Smith, Melbourne
Bina Sarkar Ellias, Mumbai
Sohail Osman Ali, Karachi
Chirag D, Mumbai
Phuong Nguyen Le, Melbourne
Anand Patwardhan, Mumbai
Lalita Ramdas, Hyderabad
Mahrukh Butt, Lahore
Ayesha Vellani, Lahore
Amina Neyamat, Dhaka
Hamida Latif, Mumbai
Dr Raphaela Rosella, Brisbane
Prasad Chacko, Ahmedabad
Abdul Hameed Nayyar, Islamabad
Safa'. Madi, Ramallah
Alan Hill, Melbourne
Khawar Mumtaz, Lahore
Laresa Kosloff, Melbourne
Mahnoor, Hyderabad
Praveer Peter, Ranchi
Mahnaz Rahman, Karachi
Alex Meakin, Southampton
Azra Sayeed, Karachi
Ann Lee, Kuala Lumpur
Anuradha Kapoor, Kolkata
Alana Hunt, Sydney
Amber Rastogi, New Delhi
Ruhina Ferdous, Dhaka
Ranjini Rai, New Delhi
Mayank Chandra, New Delhi
Tanvyi, Mumbai
Swati Narayan, Bengaluru
Khandaker Tanvir Murad, Dhaka
Imran Ahmed, Dhaka
Mohammad Ashraful Huda, Dhaka
Fatima Hamid, Islamabad
Anisha Baid, Bengaluru
Imaad Majeed, Colombo
Shahana Rajani, Toronto
Sagari Ramdas, Hyderabad
Zarminae Ansari, Lisbon
Saima Din, Cambridge
Saad Abdullah, Dhaka
Mostakin Hossain Chowdhury, Dhaka
Shahariare Khan Shihab, Dhaka
Pujan Chandra Sharma, Dhaka
Rukmini Rao, Hyderabad
Prionti Saha, Dhaka
Sabnum Dharamsi, Toddington
Kate Bernauer, Adelaide
Ashfika Rahman, Amsterdam
Momena Jalil, Dhaka
Sohail Abdullah, Karachi
Oliur Sun, Dhaka
Munem Wasif, Dhaka
Steevez, Chennai
Uma Bista, Kathmandu
Roshmi Goswami, Shillong
South Asians For Human Rights, South Asia
Sohrab Hura, New Delhi
Shehab Uddin, Brisbane
Sarita Bista, Kathmandu
Rishi Singhal, Gandhinagar
Naheed Aziz, Islamabad
Tom Bradley, London
Vincent Hasselbach, London
Shahria Sharmin, Dhaka
Sangbit Samaddar, New Delhi
Suneeta Dhar, New Delhi
Sanjida Safa, Dhaka
Khandaker Md. Mahmud Hassan, Dhaka
Reffat Ferdous, Dhaka
Amrita Chhachhi, Delhi
Kauser Haider, Chattogram
Farhatullah Babar, Islamabad
Mrittika Gain, Dhaka
Shadman Sakib Chowdhury, Dhaka
Sahela Akter Umama, Dhaka
Andrea Stultiens, Rotterdam
Prasiit Sthapit, Kathmandu
Katrin Koenning, Melbourne
Giada Alessandra Pieber, Amsterdam
Humayra Abdul Rauf, London
Nishat Hossain, Dhaka
Sujata Gothoskar, Mumbai
Saker Protick, Dhaka
Paolo Patrizi, Rome
Kishor Sharma, Kathmandu
Vida Vončina, Melbourne
Sumi Anjuman, Dhaka
Anjali Nair, Bangalore
Indian Dancers for Gaza’s Children (IDGC), Bangalore
Mounis Bin Muzafar Khan, Dhaka
Parul Soni, Goa
Francesca, Goa
Afshan Bardez, Goa
Renu Adhikari, Kathmandu
Harleen Kaur, Goa
Aditi Pradhan, Goa
Deep Pradhan, Goa
Nadia Sheikh, Haarlem
Rushmila Hossain Rashpi, Dhaka
Aaryan, Bengaluru
Urvashi Butalia, New Delhi,
Tanvi Mishra, New Delhi
Isaac Brown, Brisbane
Snighdha Sultana, Dhaka
Dipti, Goa
Rachel Dedman, London
Runa Aggarwal, Goa
Nicole Simonsen, The Hague
Gareth Phillips, Cardiff
Bina Khan, London
Asif Salman, Dhaka
Denim Chakma, Rangamati
Omar Robert Hamilton, London
Mishuk Ashraful Awal, Dhaka
Chinar Shah, Bangalore
Mohammad Anisul Hoque, Dhaka
Lucy Davis, Helsinki
Mohammad Anisul Hoque, Dhaka
Hannah Marshall, Melbourne
Milena Deleva, New York
Afra Nawar Kabir, Dhaka
Ambreen Fatima, Lahore
Fatima, Islamabad
Nighat Khan, Lahore
Tawhidur Rahman, Dhaka
Anahita, Goa
Kunal Deb, Kolkata
Seher Shah, Barcelona
Sneha Ragavan, New Delhi
Noopur Desai, New Delhi
Muhammad Arslan, Lahore
Mirza Taslima Sultana, Dhaka
Shubho O Saha, Dhaka
Manush, Bangalore
Adam Broomberg, Berlin
Shailoh Phillips, Amsterdam
Julia Colavita, Berlin
Mona Mishra, New Delhi
Martina Zamboni, Seoul
Ciaran O'Dwyer, Melbourne
Abha Bhaiya, Dharmshala
Laura El-Tantawy, Brighton
Maria, Amsterdam
Md Ishtiak Hossain, Dhaka
Prito Reza, Toronto
Sudipto Kundu, Kanchrapara
Lena Steinbauer, The Hague
Nasreen Azhar, Islamabad
Shadman Shahid, The Hague
Nasreen Azhar, Islamabad
Sritanu Mahapatra, Dhaka
Braema Mathi, Singapore
Laxmi Murthy, Bangalore
MH Akash, Dhaka
Tanjimul Islam, Dhaka
Md Taif Kamal, Dhaka
Nadia Samdani, Dhaka
Rajeeb Samdani, Dhaka
Christopher Fonseca, Goa
Thomas Bragdon, The Hague
Arif Hossain Sayeed, Dhaka
Shahbaz Nahian, Dhaka
Ruxmini Choudhury, Dhaka
Sahar Ali, Austin
Angele Galea, Zebbug
Dr Kasun Ubayasiri, Brisbane
Ali Monis Naqvi, India
Santa, Milan
Dr Kasun Ubayasiri, Meanjin
Fahmidul Haq, New York
Shamoon Zamir, Abu Dhabi
Philip Blenkinsop, Die
Md Fazla Rabbi Fatiq, Dhaka
Ruth Voon, London
Amber Cadogan, Aberystwyth
Simon David, London
Shristi Shrestha, Kathmandu
Inesa, London
Faysal Zaman, Dhaka
Christopher Winks, Brooklyn
Gita Sahgal, London
Mary Adshead, London
Regan Crowley, London
Lino Hellings, Amsterdam
Rasel Chowdhury, Dhaka
Sehreen Shamsi, Dhaka
Shoaib Hossain, Dhaka
Shahla Haeri, Boston
Saroja Shankaran, Goa
Sadia Khatri, Karachi
Shah Mohammed, Dhaka
Anam Abbas, Toronto
Francoise Callier, Paris
Vani Subramanian, New Delhi
Shruti Ganguly, Oslo
Shaharik Istik Raz, Dhaka
Samsul Alam Helal, Dhaka
Juliet Stevenson, London
Nisha Biswas, Kolkata
Tamanna Liza, Dhaka
Mohammed Sageer, Nottingham
Faisal Mahmood, Lahore
Liaqat Ali, New York
Abhijit Shuvo, Dhaka
Louisa Macmillan, London
Ramneek Singh, Bangalore
Fahmida Suleman, Toronto
Sadia Shirazi, Vancouver
Anne van Dellen, Wageningen
Rana Begum, London
Nadia, Dhaka
Rob van Maanen, Amsterdam
Deb Choudhuri, New York
Mohona Islam, Dhaka
Humaira Siddika, Vancouver
Louise Banks, Exmouth
Nusrat Noorjahan, Dhaka
Mohammad Hasan Zobayer, Dhaka
Cristina Nunez, Luxembourg
Mishal, London
Muntaha Fairooz, Bicestor
Heike Boulet, Lancashire
Shiva Sikdar, UK
Nabiha Ahmed, London
Esra Jama, Newcastle
Kalo, Diamond Valley
Alessandra Sanguinetti, Petaluma
Rupert Grey, Sussex
Muktasree Chakma, Adelaide
Krupa Gandhi, Ahmedabad
Rita Thapa, Kathmandu
Hasnat Ariyan Khan, London
Manoj Bohara, Kathmandu
Hadi Uddin, Dhaka
Kalam Choudhury, London
Anandarup Goswami, Kolkata
Sharifuzzaman Chowdhury, London
Amyel, Rome
Abdullah Al Noman, Dhaka
Jashim Chowdhury, London
Miriam Stanke, Mannheim
Sophia Style, Barcelona
Silvia Mahjabin, Dhaka
Marvic Camilleri, Malta
Sumaiya, Kolkata
Mariam Faruqi, London
Juned, London
Mohammed Shorifuzzaman, Buckinghamshire
Prapti Taposhi, Dhaka
Thobile Maphanga, Durban
Swalehin Karim Chowdhury, London
Mohsin Akbary, Croydon
Justin Schlosberg, London
Eleanor Nelima, Watamu
Dallet, Centrafrique
Rosa Maria Falvo, Melbourne
Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, Dhaka
Cecilia Sordi Campos, Naarm/Melbourne
Kathy Rowland, Singapore
Partha Sen, Dhaka
Md Emadur Rahman, London
Petros Konnaris Nicosia,Cyprus
Bart Huiskens, Rotterdam
James Harry, London
Farida Shaheed, Lahore
Charmaine Poh, Berlin
Afnan Abrar Prottoy, Dhaka
Mouas Binamin, Milano
Maria Antonietta Malleo, Italy
Debashish Chakrabarty, Michigan
Kalyani Menon Sen Coimbatore
Linda Coenen, Amsterdam
Asif Khan, Pakistan
Please sign statement HERE