On Thursday morning, during a press conference in Gdańsk, northern Poland, Sikorski assured that Polish consular services are assisting the detained citizens and reminded that the Foreign Ministry has long advised against traveling to dangerous regions, including the Middle East and the Gaza Strip.
“The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly urged people not to travel to certain regions of the world. There are countries such as Iran, Belarus, and Russia that simply take citizens of Western countries hostage,” Sikorski said.
Sikorski tells citizens traveling to dangerous regions they do so at their own risk
“I’ll be blunt to those who might want to ignore our recommendations: I have no hostages to exchange. You are traveling at your own risk. We also urge people not to go to dangerous areas,” he added, noting that he shares this view with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Sikorski also criticized the previous right-wing PiS government, saying it has made it too easy to register small vessels under the Polish flag, while emphasizing that consular services are helping Poles in trouble.
“Parliamentary immunity applies only in the country. Just as diplomatic immunity applies only where it was granted. We are in contact through consular services, but once again I ask people not to travel to dangerous areas,” Sikorski said, responding to questions about MP Sterczewski’s participation in the humanitarian voyage to Gaza.
MP Sterczewski posts dramatic account of detention, urges safe return for Polish flotilla members
Earlier, on social media, Sterczewski shared a dramatic account of his detention by Israeli forces. “If you are seeing this video, it means I have been kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces in international waters during the peaceful humanitarian mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla,” he wrote via the Global Movement to Gaza Poland profile.
The politician called on Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to ensure that all members of the Polish delegation in the flotilla return home safely.
Gaza flotilla intercepted - four Poles, Thunberg and Mandela’s grandson taken into custody
Among those detained on Wednesday, October 1, before 9 p.m. in international waters, in addition to MP Sterczewski (who was on board the Sirius, part of the flotilla), were other Polish citizens – including: Omar Faris, a Palestinian social activist with Polish citizenship, who was on the Alma; Nina Ptak, head of the Nomada Foundation; and Ewa Jasiewicz, a Polish-British journalist (who was one of the few Western media representatives present in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli attack at the turn of 2008–2009).
The Global Sumud Flotilla includes citizens from over 40 countries. On Thursday, a video appeared online in which Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Nkosi Zwelivelile, confirmed that he had been intercepted by Israel while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinians.
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Source: Radio Poland/IAR/MSZ/TVP Info/Global Movement To Gaza Poland
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Click on the audio player above for a report by Marcin Matuszewski.