Levi Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On the night of November 3, 2023, Turkish law enforcement apprehended 16 activists in Istanbul following their attempt to board the cargo ship 'Kathrin'. The activists accused the vessel of allegedly transporting explosives intended for Israel amid the ongoing conflict with the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and Lebanon. This incident unfolded at Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa Port, where pro-Palestinian groups have been maintaining a vigil for over a month, voicing their opposition to Turkey's blockade of two aid ships bound for Gaza organized by various humanitarian organizations. The activists, affiliated with the conservative Anatolia Youth Association, stormed the 'Kathrin', chanting slogans against Israel while displaying Palestinian flags and initiated a sit-in aboard the ship. Their main demand was for the vessel to set sail immediately. Riot police responded swiftly to the scene, dispersing the crowd. Those 16 protesters who resisted police orders were taken into custody and had not been released as of the afternoon of November 4. Prominent political figure and leader of the Islamist Felicity Party (SP), Temel Karamollaoğlu, has urged Turkish officials to free the detained activists from police custody. For more details, visit the report with photo: https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/11/04/activists-detained-in-istanbul-for-protest-of-german-ship-allegedly-carrying-explosive-to-israel/

On November 4, a group of Turkish activists took decisive action by boarding the 'Kathrin' at Haydarpasa port in Istanbul, following its arrival in the bustling city. The protesters voiced their dissent with cheers and chants while aboard the vessel, which had recently traveled from Alexandria where it unloaded a significant military cargo. This cargo consisted of eight shipping containers containing a staggering 150,000 kilograms of RDX (Research Department Explosive) devices. The 'Kathrin' was reportedly transporting this explosive material to Israeli Military Industries, a division of the arms manufacturer Elbit Systems. The explosives are known for their use in the production of a range of munitions including aerial bombs, mortars, and rockets. For more on this unfolding story, view the report with photographs here: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/11/04/736587/Turkey-Israel-ship-war-genocide-Gaza.

In a significant legal move, a group of German lawyers has submitted a lawsuit in Berlin to prevent the cargo aboard the MV 'Kathrin,' which contains 150 tons of military-grade explosives, from reaching its destination. This ship's cargo is allegedly destined for Elbit Systems, recognized as Israel's largest defense contractor. The European Legal Support Center announced on October 30 that it is representing three Palestinians from Gaza in this matter, asserting that the RDX explosives could potentially be used to produce munitions against Hamas in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip—an assertion that Israel has firmly refuted. Based in Germany, Lubeca Marine, the owner of the 'Kathrin,' maintains that the vessel would not dock in Israel and confirmed that it unloaded its cargo in Bar, Montenegro. Although the company chose not to disclose further specifics regarding the cargo due to contractual obligations, it insisted that all international and European regulations had been followed and that necessary licenses were obtained for the shipment. Ahmed Abed, a lawyer with the European Legal Support Center, clarified to Reuters that the focus of the complaint was the shipment, not the ship's destination. "We never claimed that the Kathrin was destined for Israel itself; it’s the shipment that is destined for Elbit Systems," he stated. The 'Kathrin' made port in Alexandria, Egypt on October 28, unloading military equipment, and is slated to depart on November 5, as indicated by the Alexandria port website. The ship has faced entry denials from multiple ports across Africa and the Mediterranean, including those in Angola, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Malta. Recently, Portuguese officials have reportedly required the vessel to alter its flag from Portuguese to German to facilitate its journey. Additionally, in August, the ship was denied entry into Namibia's main port while en route from Haiphong. The German Ministry of Economic Affairs has acknowledged receiving correspondence from legal representatives regarding this case, asserting that the cargo does not qualify as a German export, as the explosives were neither loaded nor dispatched from German soil, hence there is no legal requirement for an export license under German law.