Mairéad Maguire

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This story from Irish Times covers Irish Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maireád Maguire, who was on board the Spirit of Humanity when it and all crew were taken by the Israeli Defense Force. The article says Maguire remains incommunicado in an Israeli prison
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In a statement published at the Green Party website, party leaders call on President Obama and the State Department, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to demand the release of Cynthia McKinney and the rest of the Free Gaza 21 by the Israeli government. Pointing out that President Obama himself has called for an end to the blockade of Gaza, the Green Party called for action on behalf of those bringing just the sort of humanitarian aid to Gaza that the blockade is designed to keep out.

H/T to The Detroit Greens for the story.

The full statement can be read by clicking this article’s headline.

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In a posting to a webpage at her official MySpace page, reports of conversations between Cynthia McKinney and WBAIX reporter Don DeBar and her Press Secretary from her 2008 presidential bid, John Judge are posted.

Cynthia McKinney was able to get a call out to a colleague, Don Debar, she sends a message that she is fine, keep calling, faxing and emailing. Keep protesting, too! She is being held at the Ramle Prison in Israel…she has seen an attorney today provided by Free Gaza. She had no information on any of the 21 being released. Mairead Maguire is possibly being held or detained somewhere else. FREE the FREE GAZA 21! Demand that Israel return the ship along with the DANGEROUS CARGO–CRAYONS!

From John Judge:

John Judge (Press Secretary during the 2008 campaign) sent this tonight: I just got a call from former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney from inside an Israeli prison at Ramale where she and 20 other humanitarian aid workers from 9 different countries are still being held by Israeli authorities. US Embassy officials have spoken to Ms. McKinney and are aware of the situation. Four of the group are US citizens. Among them is Mairead Maguire, from Ireland, a Nobel laureate and renowned peace activist. They have named themselves the “Free Gaza 21.” They are demanding their release. They were in international waters on a boat delivering humanitarian aid to people in Gaza when Israeli Navy ships surrounded them and illegally threatened them, dismantled their navigation equipment, boarded and confiscated the ship. All those aboard were then taken off the ship and into custody, and brought into Israel and imprisoned. Immigration officials in Israel said they did not want to keep them, but they remain imprisoned. State Department and White House officials have not effected their release or taken a strong public stance to condemn the illegal actions of the Israeli Navy, enforcing a blockade of humanitarian assistance that has been condemned by President Obama.

In an article at The Irish Times, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairéad Maguire and another Irish citizen aboard the Spirit of Humanity were reportedly separated from the rest of the crew by Israeli authorities and detained in an undisclosed location. When Maguire protested her separation from the rest of her compatriots she was hand cuffed. They were later returned to join the rest of the group as they awaited deportation at Ben Gurion International Airport.

Mainstream media coverage of Gaza 21

Green Party tells Obama and Clinton: demand release of Cynthia McKinney and 20 other human rights activists

McKinney reaches Don DeBar, John Judge by phone

Irish Times reports on McKinney, Maguire