Pro-Palestinian activists from an international flotilla banned from setting sail for Gaza by Greek authorities occupied the Spanish Embassy in Athens on Tuesday, a diplomatic source said.

"It's somewhat of a symbolic occupation. There are only four activists currently in the embassy, all of whom are Spanish," the source said.

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The activists "want us to ask the Spanish government to put pressure on Athens to authorise the flotilla to set sail for Gaza," she said.

A dozen supporters were gathered outside the embassy, she added.





Activists protesting from embassy balcony (Photo: AP)

Thirty mainly Spanish activists had met with their ambassador to ask Madrid to put pressure on Greece to allow them to sail, one of the protesters, who called himself Santiago, told AFP by telephone.

They had then "decided to occupy the rooms," he said.

The activists had draped a Palestinian flag from one of the embassy's balconies, an AFP photographer said.

Flotilla boat captain released

Meanwhile, Greek authorities detained three activists attempting to breach Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip, after a boat set sail in defiance of a Greek ban, officials and pro-Palestinian activists said Tuesday.

David Heap, a spokesman for the Tahrir, identified those detained as Canadians Sandra Ruch and Soha Kneen, and Australian Michael Coleman. The boat tried to leave the southern Greek island of Crete on Monday, but was forced to turn back by Coast Guard vessels.





Activists onboard vessel detained by Greece

The Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said one of the Canadians, who was responsible for the boat, was arrested on charges of illegally sailing without permission. The other Canadian national and the Australian were arrested for using kayaks to block a coast guard vessel from setting sail to stop the flotilla boat.

Greece last week banned all boats participating in the Gaza flotilla from leaving port, citing security concerns after a similar flotilla last year was raided by Israeli forces, leaving nine activists on a Turkish boat dead. The Greek foreign ministry has offered to deliver the humanitarian aid the activists want to take to Gaza.

French pro-Palestinian activists said in Paris Tuesday one small boat was in international waters and on its way.

Jean-Claude Lefort, a spokesman for the group, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the Dignite-Al Karama left a port near Athens early Monday with eight activists and two crew members on board. If true, it would be the first flotilla boat to leave Greece.

However, the claim could not be confirmed. Greek authorities said they were looking into the report. Greek activist Dimitris Plionis said during a news conference in Athens that the boat had been in a "safe" area "in this part of the Mediterranean." He said it was not sailing to Gaza at the moment, but was waiting for other boats from the flotilla to join it.

In the meantime, a Greek court has released from custody the American captain of a flotilla boat, who was arrested over the weekend.

John Klusmire, the captain of the Audacity of Hope, had attempted to set sail from a port near Piraeus last week in defiance of the Greek ban on the flotilla boats leaving port. He was arrested on Saturday on charges of setting sail without permission and endangering passengers, and had been in custody since then.

One of his lawyers, Manolis Pefanakis, said a court in Piraeus released him from custody Tuesday. Supporters at the courthouse cheered and chanted slogans in celebration.

"It's a terrible, terrible thing that the government of Greece has done. We are here in support of the captain, an honorable man and a professional sea captain," said one campaigner, retired US Army Col. Ann Wright, at the courthouse. "It is terrible that they feel they had to keep him in jail."

AFP and AP contributed to this report