Sumud Flotilla activists deported from Israel arrive in Slovakia

Supporters greet Global Sumud Flotilla activists detained by Israel as they arrive in Bratislava.
Reuters

Participants in the Sumud Flotilla have arrived in Slovakia after being deported from Israel, following their attempt to deliver aid to Gaza.

Several activists who took part in the Sumud Flotilla landed in Bratislava on Monday after Israeli authorities blocked their mission and expelled them from the country.

Israel said it deported 170 people involved in the international effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, sending them to Slovakia and Greece. Authorities have so far deported at least 341 of the 479 detained activists.

Some of the deportees accused Israel of mistreatment during detention. Dutch participant Sander de Koning said personal belongings were confiscated and access to lawyers and basic needs such as water was restricted.

Others, like Peter Svestka, emphasized that the mission was not about their own treatment but about drawing attention to what they described as “genocide” in Gaza.

Spanish activists also alleged mistreatment on their arrival in Spain late on Sunday after being deported.

"They beat us, dragged us along the ground, blindfolded us, tied our hands and feet, put us in cages and insulted us," lawyer Rafael Borrego told reporters at Madrid's airport.

Israel’s Minister of Justice Yariv Levin said on Monday that 170 flotilla activists have been deported, and of the 309 still in custody in Israel 200 were expected to be expelled in the next 24 hours.

Swedish activists on Saturday claimed that climate campaigner Greta Thunberg was shoved and forced to wear an Israeli flag during her detention, while others said they had clean food and water withheld and had their medication and belongings confiscated. 

Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the allegations, insisting that all detainees’ legal rights were respected. It added that the only reported incident of violence came when an activist allegedly bit a medic at Ketziot prison.

The deportees include citizens from across Europe, as well as the United States, reflecting the international nature of the flotilla.

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