'Tortured': German Activists Recount Gaza Flotilla Ordeal

(MENAFN) Two German activists returned home Saturday from Israeli detention with firsthand accounts of abuse and torture, delivering stark testimony after their arrest at sea aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Supporters welcomed activists Nesrin Zeaiter and Uwe Sander at Hannover Airport, Langenhagen, with chants of "free Palestine." Speaking upon arrival, Zeaiter stated that those aboard the flotilla had been tortured. "I was blindfolded from the very first second," she said, while adding that her hands were tied.

Sander described how their vessel — carrying humanitarian supplies destined for Gaza — was met with rubber-bullet fire by Israeli forces. Four soldiers subsequently boarded the ship and "kidnapped" both the boat and its seven passengers. He, too, was kicked and beaten following his detention.

The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) confirmed both individuals were aboard the aid convoy intercepted by the Israeli navy in international waters earlier in the week. Its German chapter, Global Sumud Germany, said activists faced abuse, assault, and torture at the hands of Israeli security forces after their arrests.

Zeaiter is reported to have been beaten, bitten by dogs, and stabbed with a knife. The German Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday that German nationals aboard the flotilla had sustained injuries.

Global Sumud Germany said a number of activists had already returned to Germany, with others expected in the days ahead, and called for a full investigation. The German government on Friday demanded "clarification" from Israel, calling "the accusations absolutely serious."

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