Activists denounce rape and torture after arrest by Israel

The accusations against Israel worsened this Friday (22), after activists from the Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla reported rapes, sexual assaults, beatings and torture during Israeli custody.

The statements were given by participants in the mission after the deportation of detainees who had been captured by Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla in international waters.

The reports were made by activists from different countries, including Brazilian Thiago Ávila.

According to the testimonies, the abuses occurred both during the interception of the vessels and in the Israeli detention centers and prisons where the activists were taken after the capture of the flotilla.

The Global Sumud coalition said that at least 15 participants reported sexual violence, including cases of rape.

Australian Juliet Lamont declared to Guardian who was a victim of sexual violence and physical assault while in Israeli custody.

According to her, dozens of activists suffered fractures, electric shocks and systematic beatings. Lamont stated that the violence was aimed at preventing new humanitarian missions towards Gaza.

Organizations linked to the mission also reported fractures, shooting of rubber bullets at close range, use of stun guns, public humiliation and detention in degrading conditions.

Cynically, Israel denies the accusations and claims that the prisoners were treated “in accordance with the law”.

The new wave of accusations deepens the diplomatic crisis that has already opened after the release, by the Minister of National Security of Israel and representative of the supremacist factions, Itamar Ben-Gvir, of videos in which activists appear kneeling, handcuffed and being humiliated during Israeli custody.

The episode provoked international condemnation and opened discussions in the European Union about possible sanctions against the far-right minister.

Reports of abuse were also made by European and Arab activists deported to Türkiye after the flotilla was intercepted.

New Zealander Mousa Taher told Anadolu Agency that Israeli soldiers forced him to crawl on the floor, tightened plastic handcuffs until his hands were injured and repeatedly assaulted him during his detention.

According to Taher, the soldiers photographed him while pressing their boots onto his face.

“They wanted to make us feel small. They wanted us to feel like we were nothing,” said the activist.

Italian economist Luca Poggi told Reuters that participants were stripped naked, thrown to the floor and kicked.

“Many of us received electric shocks, some suffered sexual abuse and many were left without access to lawyers,” he declared after arriving in Rome.

French organizer Sabrina Charik stated that five French citizens had to be hospitalized in Türkiye after deportation. According to her, some had broken ribs and vertebral fractures, in addition to detailed reports of rape and sexual violence.

Activists report beatings, sexual abuse and humiliation

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, imprisoned for 11 days and released on May 10, stated that the mission participants suffered a “planned campaign of violence” by Israeli forces.

He reported that soldiers beat him until he lost consciousness during a previous interception of the flotilla, which took place in April near the Greek island of Crete.

“They put ropes around my neck and beat me until I lost consciousness,” declared Ávila. According to him, the soldiers dragged him unconscious, threatened him with death and kept him blindfolded during much of his detention.

The Brazilian also claimed to have heard screams of Palestinians being tortured in neighboring cells during the days he remained isolated in an Israeli prison.

Another member of the flotilla, Australian Zack Schofield, reported that Israeli soldiers used stun guns, fired non-lethal projectiles at prisoners and kept detainees in stress positions for hours. He further stated that the activists slept in overcrowded containers, without mattresses or blankets, in intense cold.

International pressure grows against Ben-Gvir and Israel

The new allegations increased international pressure on the Israeli government. Italian Chancellor Antonio Tajani declared that he is holding talks with other European Union countries to try to approve sanctions against Ben-Gvir.

The discussion occurs after the minister himself released videos provoking the arrested activists. In the images, the participants appear kneeling, with their hands tied, while Ben-Gvir mocks the detainees and calls them “supporters of terrorism”.

The international tension caused by the images led members of the Israeli government and Tel Aviv’s allies to try to contain the diplomatic crisis opened by Ben-Gvir himself. The episode generated criticism even within the Israeli government, in an attempt to dissociate the country from the scenes publicized by the minister.

Prime Minister and war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu cynically stated that the ally’s stance “is not in line with Israel’s values ​​and norms”.

The United States ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee — a historic ally of the Israeli right and a member of the Trump administration — criticized Ben-Gvir after the images were released, although he defended the interception of the flotilla.

Itamaraty had already summoned the head of the Israeli embassy in Brasília to demand explanations about the treatment given to the flotilla participants. In a statement, the Brazilian government classified both the interception of vessels in international waters and the detention of activists as illegal.