JERUSALEM — Israeli authorities deported 171 people to Greece and Slovakia on Oct. 6, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who had been detained for participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
According to The Associated Press, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X that, “the deportees were citizens of Greece, Italy, France, Ireland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, the UK, Serbia, and the United States.” Attached to the post were pictures of Thunberg and other activists in white shirts and gray sweatpants.
Shortly after arriving, Greta Thunberg stated to journalists and protesters, “I could talk for a very, very long time about our mistreatment and abuses in our imprisonment, trust me,” according to The Associated Press.
According to The Guardian, an official who had visited Thunberg during her imprisonment claimed that she had little food and water, as well as a bedbug infestation in her cell.
An email containing details about the visit states, “She informed of dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces,” according to The Guardian.
Turkish activist Ersin Çelik, who was also a part of the Sumud flotilla, told Anadolu News, “They dragged little Greta by her hair before our eyes, beat her and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag.”
However, according to The Associated Press, Israeli authorities continue to deny the allegations of mistreatment against those imprisoned.
According to PBS News, Lubna Tuma, a lawyer with the Adalah association that is representing more than 470 Sumud Flotilla participants who were detained, said that about 150 people remain in Israel’s Ktziot Prison, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Mandla Mandela. Without any end in sight, prisoners still remain detained.
