Hundreds of Gaza aid flotilla activists who were illegally detained by Israel have been released from prison ahead of their deportation.
Approximately 430 campaigners from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) and Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) were arrested in international waters while trying to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The activists were subjected to extreme violence, sexual harassment and routinely forced into stress positions while in detention, the Adalah legal centre reported.
The majority of those detained were released from the Ktziot detention facility and transferred to Ramon Airport in southern Israel to be deported, the Israeli Prison Service and state officials confirmed to Adalah.
The centre’s legal team reported “systemic violations of due process” as well as widespread physical and psychological abuse by Israeli authorities, with at least three individuals requiring hospital treatment and dozens of activists left with suspected broken ribs.
Adalah’s team reported the frequent use of Tasers on activists, and injuries sustained from the use of rubber bullets. While being moved around the port, activists were forced to walk bent completely forward while guards violently held their backs down.
Flotilla participants were also subjected to degradation and sexual harassment and humiliation, while several women had their hijabs ripped off by Israeli authorities.
“The entire operation, from the unlawful interception in international waters to the systemic torture, humiliation and arbitrary detention of peaceful activists, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law,” Adalah said.
Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir caused a diplomatic incident this week after posting footage of himself taunting detained flotilla activists as they kneel in rows in a stress position with their hands tied.
“Welcome to Israel. We are the landlords,” Ben-Gvir says in the video as he walks among the activists while waving a large Israeli flag.
The footage drew global condemnation, with US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee describing Ben-Gvir’s behaviour as “despicable”.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.