Mother Dies As Her Flotilla Activist Son Is ‘Tortured’ in Israeli Detention
Thiago Ávila is being held in isolation and is apparently unaware of her death.
by Joshua Carroll
7 May 2026
The mother of a Brazilian activist who was kidnapped and reportedly tortured by Israeli armed forces has passed away while waiting for her son to be freed from detention.
Teresa Regina de Ávila e Silva, 63, died in Brazil’s capital of Brasilia after years of illness, according to a statement from the Global Sumud Flotilla, the activist group behind an aid flotilla to Gaza that was illegally intercepted by Israel last week.
The statement described Regina as “a woman of remarkable joy and great strength”.
It added: “She faced years of serious illness with courage, serenity, and dignity, driven by an unwavering will to live and surrounded by the unconditional dedication of her family. Thiago’s two-year-old daughter carries her name.”
A post on the activist’s Instagram account, signed by his team, said: “We cannot begin to imagine how much this news will break Thiago’s heart when he finds out that his beloved mother has passed away.”
Israel illegally detained Ávila and another activist, Saif Abukeshek, in international waters near Greece early on Thursday morning as they attempted to sail to Gaza on boats loaded with humanitarian aid.
Lawyers have said Ávila has been severely beaten and threatened with death by interrogators, adding that Abukeshek has also been subjected to torture.
A court on Tuesday extended the detention of the two men until Sunday despite bringing no charges against them.
An Israeli state attorney has said the pair are suspected of several offences, including links to a terrorist organisation. Israel claims to have secret evidence to support these allegations, but refuses to share it with the activists’ legal team.
Ávila and Abukeshek’s Lawyers told the Ashkelon magistrates’ court on Tuesday that the allegations are baseless and there are no legal grounds for continued detention. They noted that the interrogations have largely focused on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and that this suggests “detention is an attempt to criminalise humanitarian aid and solidarity”.
Eleven nations, including Spain, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa, have released a joint statement condemning their detention as a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”.
Joshua Carroll is a writer and journalist.