Greta Thunberg subjected to harsh treatment in Israeli custody after Gaza flotilla arrest
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Israeli forces on Friday intercepted all boats of the Global Sumud flotilla and arrested 437 activists, parliamentarians, and lawyers, including climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The flotilla, made up of over 40 boats, was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza in an attempt to challenge Israel’s 16-year maritime blockade.
Thunberg has since informed Swedish authorities that she faced harsh treatment while in Israeli detention.
An email from the Swedish foreign ministry to her close associates states that an embassy official who visited her in prison confirmed her complaints. She reported being held in a cell infested with bedbugs, with insufficient food and water.
The Swedish ministry wrote that the embassy had been able to meet with Greta, who informed them she was suffering from dehydration and had received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes, which she suspected were caused by bedbugs. The correspondence further added that Thunberg had been forced to sit on hard surfaces for extended periods.
Other detainees corroborated some of her claims.
One detainee said she was “forced to hold flags” while photographs were taken and that she worried her images may have been circulated. Two members of the flotilla, later released, confirmed this account.
A Turkish activist, Ersin Çelik, who was also on the flotilla, said that little Greta Thunberg had been dragged by her hair before their eyes, beaten, and forced to kiss the Israeli flag, adding that everything imaginable had been done to her as a warning to others.
The Swedish authorities noted that Thunberg’s health had been affected by dehydration and rashes. Her detention and treatment have drawn global attention as rights groups and governments call for accountability.