Mistreatment claims by detainees from flotilla

SOME of the activists detained while trying to reach Gaza by sea have returned to their home countries to allege mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards.

- ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTERS

Around 450 activists were arrested last week as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the famine-stricken territory.

Those detained between last Wednesday and last Friday were brought to Israel, where many remained in prison yesterday. Israel denies the claims.

The Israeli foreign ministry said it offered voluntary deportation to all of the activists, and those who remain in detention chose to stay there in order to go through a legal deportation process.

On his return at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport late on Saturday, Italian journalist Saverio Tommasi said Israeli soldiers withheld medicines and treated prisoners “like monkeys”.

Israel’s foreign ministry has said the claims of mistreatment were “brazen lies”.