Deported flotilla activists allege 'sadistic' sexual abuse and torture in Israeli captivity

Deported flotilla activists allege 'sadistic' sexual abuse and torture in Israeli captivity Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 05/22/2026 - 09:43 Activists report being stripped, 'water-tortured' and dragged along the ground with bound hands and feet Italian flotilla activists gesture upon arrival at Fiumicino Airport in Italy after being deported from Israel on Thursday (Remo Casilli/Reuters) Off Flotilla activists who were abducted and jailed by Israeli authorities while in international waters have reported being subjected to sexual abuse and torture while in Israeli captivity. Some 430 activists, who were held after Israeli forces raided the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla , were deported to Istanbul on Thursday evening. Footage showed activists arriving at airports clad in grey prison tracksuits and keffiyehs with their fists raised, as families and supporters greeted them.