Freed Gazan flotilla activists allege Israeli abuse

Organizers said the activists, who were released from Israeli custody after being detained on a flotilla trying to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, were mistreated, with many hospitalized with injuries and at least 15 sexually assaulted.

Israel’s prison service denied the allegations and Reuters could not independently verify them.

Germany’s foreign ministry said some of the country’s citizens were injured and some of the accusations were “serious”.

A legal source in Italy said prosecutors were investigating possible crimes including kidnapping and sexual assault.

“The allegations are false and completely not based on facts,” an Israeli prison service spokesman said in a statement.

“All prisoners and detainees are kept in accordance with the law, respecting their fundamental rights and under the supervision of professional and trained prison personnel,” the statement said.

“Medical care is provided according to professional medical judgment and in accordance with Department of Health guidelines.”

The Israeli army referred questions to the foreign ministry, which referred them to the prison service.

Israeli forces arrested 430 people on 50 ships in international waters on Tuesday to stop a flotilla of volunteers trying to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.

Allegations of mistreatment will increase pressure on Israeli officials to explain the treatment of detainees after a video of an Israeli cabinet minister mocking some activists in prison sparked international outrage.

“We are very concerned by these reports,” United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said when asked about the allegations at a regular briefing on Friday.

The aid shipment’s organizers, the Global Sumud Fleet, said the group had documented at least 15 cases of sexual abuse, with the worst occurring on an Israeli landing ship that had been converted into a makeshift prison with barbed wire and shipping containers.

The group said in a statement that detainees were thrown into containers and beaten on their heads and ribs.

They were subjected to numerous incidents of sexual abuse, including “humiliating strip searches, sexual harassment, groping and pulling of genitals, and numerous incidents of rape.”

“At least 12 sexual assaults, including anal rape and gun penetration, have been documented on this ship alone,” he added.

The statement was issued after the Israeli prison service generally denied allegations of ill-treatment, rape and sexual assault.

Reuters sent additional specific allegations to the prison service but did not receive a response after business hours on Friday, a holiday in Israel.

Spanish activist Mi Hoa Lee said she was forced into a dark container on the ship, according to a video interview included in the fleet’s statement.

“Four men started hitting me in the face against the wall and I fell down, then I got up again, I fell down again, I got up again and they started tasering me for over a minute,” he said, pointing to his ribcage, hips and back where he said they used the stun gun.

“Then they continued to beat me until I almost lost my conscience,” he added.

Italian activist Ilaria Mancosu told Reuters that flotilla members were taken from their boats and taken to two ships called prison ships.

He said that those who were put on one of the ships were subjected to more violence than the other.

They were locked in a container and beaten by five soldiers; His ribs and arms were broken.

Some of them had serious injuries to their eyes and ears due to the stun gun.

He said they spent two days on prison ships with no running water and used cardboard and plastic to stay warm at night because they had no blankets and most of their clothing had been removed.

Once ashore, they were made to kneel for several hours and were kicked and pushed if they moved or spoke.

They were then taken to a prison, he said, where they were periodically moved from room to room to prevent them from sleeping.