Italians recount violence and degrading treatment by the Israeli army

All Sumud Global Flotilla and Freedom Flotilla Coalition activists are expected to be released in the coming hours, following strong international pressure and diplomatic mobilization in recent days.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Israeli authorities have confirmed the transfer of activists from the Ketziot detention center to Ramon/Eilat airport, from where they are expected to depart on Turkish charter flights to countries

The human rights organization Adalah stated that their release will mark the end of an arbitrary ban, but emphasized that this does not erase the serious violations of international law that, according to it, began with the seizure of ships in international waters and continued with inhumane treatment of activists.

The Italian delegation of the flotilla emphasized that the pressure exerted on European governments “has set the diplomatic machine in motion”, forced the intervention of embassies and international organizations.

Meanwhile, various European governments and institutions have publicly condemned the videos and the behavior of the Israeli authorities towards the banned activists. In Italy, the return of 5 Star Movement MP Dario Carotenuto and Il Fatto Quotidiano journalist Alessandro Mantovani was met with solidarity and strong political reactions.

The two arrived at Fiumicino airport from Athens, where they were welcomed by MPs, activists and family members. But most of the attention was focused on their testimony about the violence they said was inflicted by the Israeli army during the detention and transfer.

Journalist Alessandro Mantovani said that he and many other activists were beaten during the boarding operation and then in the detention centers. “I was beaten, Dario Carotenuto was beaten, others even more severely.

I saw people with suspected broken arms and ribs”, he declared in an audio published by Il Fatto Quotidiano. According to Mantovani, almost all the activists who passed through the entrance area of ​​the detention center were beaten, while screams could also be heard from outside.

He said that during the transfer to Ben Gurion Airport, he and Carotenuto were handcuffed and treated “as if they were criminals”. Mantovani also said that during the inspection his personal belongings were taken and that he also saw women hit by the soldiers.

“They shot twice at the ship with some type of bullet and not only at us”, he added, describing the operation as much more violent than the previous cases of interventions against humanitarian flotillas.

Deputy Dario Carotenuto also described a degrading treatment. He stated that he was held for six hours in a cold room with a temperature of 17 degrees, sitting in a chair, before being transferred in handcuffs to the airport. The MP accused the Israeli government of pursuing an aggressive strategy in the region for years and criticized the silence or weak reactions of many European governments in the face of recent events. square

Source: prizrenpost