Tuesday, 9 June 2026
Stand With Domenico Centrone in Libya!
The ICFR endorses the urgent call for the release of Italian filmmaker/activist Domenico Centrone in Libya
The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) fully endorses the urgent call by the Naanu Collective and the Documentary Association of Europe (DAE) for the immediate and unconditional release of filmmaker and educator Domenico Centrone and his fellow activists, detained by Eastern Libyan authorities since May 24th.
Domenico Centrone is an Italian-born filmmaker based between Italy and Brussels, Belgium. Working with hybrid forms of non-fiction storytelling, his films have been shown and awarded at film festivals around the world. His short film War Postmen (co-directed with Alessio Gonnella) premiered at the 2017 Ferrara Internazionale, and in 2020, International Film Festival Rotterdam screened his short films The Memory Atlas and Water and Salt. He studied under the DocNomads program in Belgium and currently teaches at the University of Bari in Puglia, Italy.
Domenico has been part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy attempting to deliver aid to Gaza by land and by sea. Domenico and his fellow activists were detained by the Eastern Libyan authorities (GNS) on May 24, 2026. On June 2nd, they were brought before the Attorney General in Benghazi (Libya), and their illegal detention was extended by 10 more days. They have not been able to contact their families and have been denied the right to legal counsel. This detention and treatment are unlawful and unacceptable.
Domenico's case is not isolated. Several filmmakers, including Greek producer Phaedra Vokali and Australian filmmaker Juliet Lamont, have been detained or mistreated by Israeli authorities for their participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Others have received (further) mistreatment upon returning to their native countries. This pattern demands urgent international attention.
We call on the Italian government, international human rights bodies, and the global film community to act now in support of Domenico Centrone and his fellow activists detained in Libya.
International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk