UNCLASSIFIED
21 July 2026
Stephanie Mudgeway
[FYI request #34933 email]
Dear Stephanie Mudgeway
Thank you for your email of 22 June 2026 in which you request the fol owing under the Official
Information Act 1982 (OIA):
For the period 1 April 2026 to the date this request is received [22 June], al advice provided
to you and your office — including briefings, aide-mémoire, memoranda, reports, talking
points, email advice and draft responses — by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade or
any other official or agency, relating to:
1- The al egations made by Hāhona Ormsby that he was assaulted and injured while
detained by Israeli authorities fol owing the interception of the Global Sumud Flotil a;
2- Medical records or medical assessments of Mr Ormsby (or other New Zealand flotil a
participants) understood to be held in Türkiye, including any advice on whether
MFAT could or should seek those records through diplomatic channels; and
3- Any briefing prepared for, or in anticipation of, your appearance before the Foreign
Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee , to the extent it concerns the above matters
or your characterisation of the al egations.
Response to your request
The information in scope of part one of your request is attached. Some information is withheld
under the fol owing sections of the OIA:
9(2)(a): to protect individuals’ privacy; and
9(2)(g)(i ): to protect officers and employees from improper pressure or harassment.
Where the information has been withheld under section 9 of the OIA, no public interest in
releasing the information has been identified that would override the reasons for withholding it.
Part two of your request is refused under section 18(d) of the OIA, as the information requested
is publicly available via the responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 29599 and 29600
(2026):
- 29599 - https://questions.parliament.nz/written-questions/question/WQ_29599_2026?lang=en
- 29600 - https://questions.parliament.nz/written-questions/question/WQ_29600_2026?lang=en
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
Regarding part three of your request. The document titled, Estimates Hearing 2026/27 – Briefing
Prepared for the Minister of Foreign Affairs contains a single reference to the Sumud Gaza Flotil a,
which is provided below in accordance with section 16(1)(e) of the OIA:
o Sumud Gaza Flotilla May 2026: New Zealand made it clear to Israel that Minister Ben-
Gvir's degrading treatment of the three New Zealanders participating in the Gaza Flotil a
was unacceptable and in breach of Israel’s international legal obligations.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision by
contacting www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Rt Hon Winston Peters
Minister of Foreign Affairs
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