Fresh news on politics and government in Greece
Provided by AGP
Greek Flotilla Activists Say Endured Israeli Mistreatment, Torture
(MENAFN) Nineteen Greek activists, illegally detained by Israel aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, arrived in Athens on Friday and delivered harrowing firsthand accounts of mistreatment and torture endured while in Israeli custody.
The group touched down at Athens International Airport at approximately 9 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), where they were received by a crowd of pro-Palestinian supporters, relatives, and friends. Demonstrators waving Palestinian flags chanted slogans of solidarity with Gaza while condemning cooperation with Israel.
Activist Phaedra Vokali, speaking at the airport, said several members of the group had been physically harmed during their detention.
"There were also those among us who were in such terrible condition that they could not walk. After all this torture, they took us to prisons at the Port of Ashdod," she said.
Vokali described the conditions at the port detention facility as equally degrading, saying detainees were denied water, food, and basic sanitary provisions.
"We were lying almost on top of each other in containers. Compared to what Palestinians have endured for decades, what we experienced is nothing," added Vokali.
Calling on global citizens to act, she issued a stark warning: "We all need to get off our couches and do something, otherwise it will be our turn too," she said.
'They tried to dehumanize us'
Fellow activist Christini Desi-Luka emphasized that the flotilla's mission had been entirely peaceful, aimed solely at delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
"We know very well that Israel was trying to block every kind of aid effort that would help the Palestinian people by every means possible," she said, accusing Tel Aviv of pursuing the destruction of the Palestinian people through what she described as genocide.
Desi-Luka condemned the Western world — including Greece and the US — for failing to confront the crisis, and stated that not a single flotilla participant was spared from Israeli mistreatment.
"They tried to dehumanize us. We faced plastic bullets, beatings, and thirst."
She urged the international community and Greek citizens to take meaningful action in response to the ongoing situation in Palestine.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
