8 July 2009
Jenny and Natalie, both British passport holders, and both long term human rights workers in the Gaza strip, are being prevented from leaving Gaza via the Rafah Crossing. Please take action on their behalf.
Jenny Linnell is a co-founder of the ISM Rafah group, and an original crew member of one of the “Free Gaza” boats. For the last year she has been accompanying Palestinians and documenting events in the Gaza strip, both before, during and after the war. You can see footage of her work with fishermen and farmers under fire at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDD8ANFgwtA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTUYivihoTE
Natalie, from Lebanon (but with a British passport) also entered Gaza via one of the Free Gaza boats and has been working as part of the International Solidarity movement within Gaza since November 2008. You can see her work at http://gaza08.blogspot.com/
Since the end of May Jenny has been trying to leave and return home via the border crossing at Rafah into Egypt. She keeps getting turned away, most recently under pretty extreme circumstances, as outlined below. Natalie also needs to leave Gaza in order to take up her place at a British University. The Egyptian Border Guards told both women that they were being refused exit because of their work with the Free Gaza boats. They were told that they would ‘never be let out’.
Natalie has written an account of their treatment, and their inhuman treatment of so many Palestinians at the Rafah crossing, in ‘The Gates to Hell, what Egyptian regime did to the Palestinians’.
For the sake of both women and other peace workers it is vital that this treatment is not allowed to continue unchallenged. Please help us get them back by ringing the British Foreign office and the Egyptian Embassy in London.
The Egyptian Embassy in London
phone 020 7499 3304/2401
Fax: +44 (0)20 7491 1542
The British Foreign Office
Middle East Desk
Tel: +44 (0)20 70088784
Email: jill.bayl@fco.gov.uk and trish.wi@fco.gov.uk
Or the Consular team: phone the Foreign office on +44 (0)2070081500 and ask to be put through to the Consular Assistance team, ( who are there to assist British travellers when abroad).