The Government of Canada has made public this Friday its condemnation for the "terrible abuses" that several Canadian activists traveling on the flotilla intercepted in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea by the Israeli Navy allegedly suffered while in Israel's custody. Canadian authorities have demanded that those responsible "be held accountable" for what happened.
"I have just received information from my officials detailing the terrible abuse suffered by Canadian citizens who were detained in Israel," stated the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, after more than 400 activists, including more than 40 Spaniards, were deported to Turkey on Thursday.
The minister stressed that Canadian diplomatic staff "are on the ground to ensure they receive urgent medical attention" and that they can "return home as soon as possible." Along these lines, she insisted that "Canada unequivocally condemns the severe mistreatment of Canadians in Israel. Those responsible for these heinous abuses must be held accountable."
During the day, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) reiterated its complaint about "the violent hijacking of civilian vessels in international waters" by the Israeli Navy and expressed its "relief" that the activists are no longer in Israel's custody. At the same time, it announced that it will collaborate with them to take legal action "for crimes including aggression, illegal and arbitrary detention, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, physical assault, psychological torture, and other violations of International Law."
The FFC has rejected "any attempt to present the abuse and degrading treatment witnessed by the world in recent days as isolated conduct or actions by extremist officials," in a context of numerous criticisms against Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who on Wednesday released a video in which he reprimands and humiliates the detainees, who appear handcuffed and on their knees in the port of Ashdod.
"The brutality spread on social media, which includes deliberate humiliation, threats, physical violence, degrading treatment, and openly dehumanizing rhetoric directed at unarmed civilians, is not an exception," the coalition has stated, following allegations of assaults on activists while they were in Israeli custody, including the dissemination of images showing bruises and marks of blows.