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Greek port authorities at Pirea seized yesterday the 60 years old captain of AUDACITY OF HOPE ship, travelling under American flag, and brought him to court in Pirea.

The captain was immediately taken into custody and charged with felony according to article 234 of the General Maritime Law and article 306 of the Penal Code. He was given the 48 hours he demanded to prepare his defense and will be under arrest again on Tuesday, July 5 at latest.

The vessel is part of the “Ship for Gaza” fleet, together with another five ships. Three are at the Pirea port, two – at Crete island, and one- at Kerkira island.

The vessels were about to head to Gaza on Friday. However, the Minister of civil defense Christos Papoutzis aborted the operation and prohibited sailing to Gaza Strip for Greek or foreign vessels from all Greek ports.

One of the ships participating in the mission, the Comorian “Tahrir,” is held anchored at the Aghios Nikolaos port.

The deputy civil defense minister, Manolis Otonas, commented on the Gaza travel ban in front of journalists:

“The Ministry of Defense in applying a decision by the Greek government, coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

He added: “Port authorities are complying with the government decision not to allow any vessels to leave for Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Michalis Kritzotakis from the opposing SIRIZA confronted Aghios Nikolaos, emphasizing that Crete residents have not consented to a travel ban for Gaza for activists from around the world and Greece.

“The ship is utterly legitimate,” sais the captain and adds that the government ban is illegal.

At the same time, the Palestinian movement Hamas, which is in control of the Gaza Strip, criticized the port authorities on the detention of the ship, expected to head for Gaza and break Israeli occupation.

Hamas qualified the action as “antihuman” and “contradicting international rules” in a statement published in Damask by the political governance of the movement, a copy of which was sent to the French Information Agency.

Hamas believes the tactic to “have resulted from pressures from Zionist occupiers.”

Additionally, Hamas appealed to the European Parliament and organizations for human rights protection to “apply pressure on the Greek government” and allow the Gaza Strip fleet to sail.