Mallorcan activist remains in custody after incident in Israel

Arrest after failed aid operation: Mallorcan woman remains in Israel for now

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The 48-year-old Mallorcan Reyes Rigo remains in Israeli custody. Relatives report this, who were nervously waiting for news on Monday in Palma. The charge: during a check at the detention facility, she allegedly bit a female officer. The authorities have extended the pre-trial detention until next Wednesday.

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In short: Reyes was part of a small flotilla attempting to deliver aid shipments toward the Gaza Strip. The operation ended off the coast. The Navy detained the participants and brought them ashore. While other participants have since returned to Spain, Reyes remains in a police station in the Negev region.

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Family and demands

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The family is worried. In a short video, her daughter Carlota calls on the Spanish authorities to take action: "We want Reyes home. We need answers." One hears no exaggerated statements, but rather a tired appeal – as one would expect at quarter to five in the afternoon at a street corner: soft, persistent, a little desperate.

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The circumstances of the alleged biting incident are still unclear. According to reports from Israel, the bite wound occurred on the left hand of the officer. Reyes was moved from the prison to a police station after the incident and is being interrogated there. Legal steps are underway; investigators want to secure the statements of those involved first.

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Who could return

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Two other women from the Balearics, Lucía Muñoz and Alejandra Martínez, were able to leave the country already. They flew on a plane chartered by the Spanish Ministry of Defense from Athens to Madrid. Both had said after their release that they had begun a hunger strike in detention and refused to sign a document that labeled their entry into Israel as illegal.

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Also an initial group from Spain has already returned and reported problems in detention. Such accounts create talk on the island: in cafés along Passeig and at the market, people exchange worried looks and brief comments. Some say they know Reyes – as an acupuncturist who worked in Palma; others had only heard of her.

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What happens now

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The family hopes for diplomatic support. Whether and how the Spanish authorities intervene remains to be seen. Until then: one woman is detained, two are on the way home, many questions remain open. And on Mallorca the topic stays present – people talk about it while the espresso cools.