Swiss, Spanish Gaza flotilla activists allege ‘inhumane detention conditions’ in Israel
Geneva: Israel has deported 171 foreign activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, including prominent Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, following the interception of vessels attempting to breach its naval blockade of Gaza last week. The deportees have been flown to Greece and Slovakia, Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed on Sunday.
According to the ministry, the deported activists were citizens of 18 countries, including Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The ministry said that all deportees’ legal rights were “fully upheld,” dismissing reports of mistreatment as “lies” and “part of a planned propaganda campaign.” It also posted images on X (formerly Twitter) showing Greta Thunberg and other participants at the airport before deportation, calling the flotilla a “public relations stunt.”
However, activists returning to Europe have painted a starkly different picture. Swiss and Spanish participants accused Israeli authorities of subjecting them to inhumane treatment during their detention, including sleep deprivation, lack of food and water, and physical abuse. Some claimed they were beaten, kicked, blindfolded, and locked in cages.
A Swiss group representing nine of its nationals said the detainees were held under harsh conditions before being sent home. Spanish lawyer Rafael Borrego, one of those deported, told reporters at Madrid’s airport that activists were “dragged along the ground, tied up, insulted, and kept in cages.”
Swedish activists alleged that Greta Thunberg was shoved and forced to wear an Israeli flag during her detention, and that several detainees were denied access to medication and clean food.
Israel has rejected all allegations of abuse. The foreign ministry described the claims as “complete lies,” insisting that detainees were provided with water, food, restrooms, and legal access throughout their detention. It said one Spanish detainee had assaulted a medical worker at Ketziot Prison, causing minor injuries.
Israel’s Minister of Justice Yariv Levin confirmed that 170 flotilla activists had already been deported and that 200 more of the 309 remaining detainees were expected to be expelled within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, several embassies, including Switzerland’s, confirmed they had visited nationals still in detention and were working to secure their release. The Swiss Embassy in Tel Aviv said its citizens were “in relatively good health, given the circumstances.”
Former Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, who was also aboard one of the flotilla vessels, acknowledged instances of mistreatment but noted that “what we endured is nothing compared to what the Palestinian people face every day.”
Spanish journalists Carlos de Barron and Nestor Prieto alleged that they were made to sign documents in Hebrew without translation and denied access to consular assistance. Several European governments have sought clarification from Israeli authorities regarding their nationals’ treatment and detention conditions.
More activists are expected to be released and flown to Athens in the coming hours as international scrutiny mounts over Israel’s handling of the flotilla and its participants.
