DaysofPal- The legal and human rights organization Adalah reported that its defense team, alongside volunteer lawyers, has provided legal assistance to hundreds of activists detained during the Freedom Flotilla and the Global Sumud Flotilla at Ashdod Port, despite Israeli restrictions that limit access to many of those held.
In a recent statement, Adalah said it had recorded testimonies from several detainees describing severe violence, injuries, and instances of sexual abuse during their detention and transfer.
All detainees were reportedly subjected to initial screening by Israeli immigration forces, with the majority later transferred to Ketziot prison.
According to Adalah, the testimonies point to systematic breaches of legal procedures, as well as widespread physical and psychological abuse.
The legal team said it received consistent accounts of excessive force used during the interception of the vessels and the subsequent transfer of detainees, leaving several individuals seriously injured. At least three activists required hospitalization before being returned to detention.
Lawyers also documented dozens of cases involving broken ribs and breathing difficulties, along with repeated use of electric shock devices and rubber bullets during transfers to Israeli military boats.
Adalah further reported that detainees were subjected to degrading treatment at the port, including being forced to walk while bent over, violently pushed by guards, and, in some cases, made to kneel for extended periods aboard the boats.
The organization added that abuses extended beyond physical violence to include verbal insults, incitement, sexual harassment, and the forced removal of hijabs from several female activists.
Adalah reiterated its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all flotilla participants, describing their detention as unlawful.
In a related statement, the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) accused the Israeli occupation of using the detention of international activists as a systematic tactic to intimidate pro-Palestinian voices and suppress global solidarity efforts.
PPS said the policy aims to deter international support for Palestinians by signaling that activists risk arrest, abuse, and torture.
The group emphasized that such treatment reflects a longstanding pattern of Israeli occupation against international activists over the years.
It also stated that the reported abuse and humiliation of detainees, carried out in the presence of the far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, mirrors the conditions routinely faced by Palestinian and Arab prisoners in Israeli jails.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=74817
