Captain John Klusmer was arrested when the US boat Audacity of Hope -- the flagship in a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists -- attempted to leave Greek waters on Friday after Athens banned all Gaza-bound ships from setting sail.Klusmer was charged with felony and ordered to appear in court on Tuesday. The US Boat to Gaza organisation said he was being held in jail in "shocking conditions" and as far as it was aware, had not yet received consular assistance.
New York lawyer Richard Levy -- a passenger on the boat who has visited Klusmer in jail in a port town near Athens -- told enraged US activists that "he had no bed or toilet in his cell, and is receiving no food or water".
"We've offered to pay his bail," said passenger Robert Naiman, from the Washington-based Just Foreign Policy organisation. "But we have had no indication at all that he will be allowed out of jail before Tuesday."
The US embassy in Athens was not available for comment.
The US embassy is “not available for comment.” It would be difficult to come out and say that they are on board and cooperating with the Greek (read Israeli) government to “discourage” activity seeking to aid Palestine.
[O]nly four of the initial 10 boats -- two French, one Spanish and one Canadian -- were in the running Sunday.Organisers said three of the boats planned to set sail Monday morning, despite the Greek ban which is in place "until futher notice". Activists said they were "resigned" to being intercepted by the coastguard.
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