"I was beaten by Israeli police," says European MEP Rima Hassan after Sumud Flotilla detention

French Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan, of Palestinian origin, said she was beaten by 'Israeli' police after the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla en route to Gaza.

Speaking to Agence France-Presse at Athens International Airport on Monday, where she arrived alongside other deported activists including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Hassan said, “I was beaten while being put into a police car by two Israeli officers.” Wearing gray prison garments similar to those worn by Thunberg, she added, “We have a lot to reveal,” condemning the treatment they received and affirming that “some of us were beaten.”

Hassan did not provide further details about the alleged assault, stating only, “Sometimes there were 13 to 15 of us in a single cell, not on beds but on mats on the floor… in the high-security Israeli prison in the Negev. We lacked everything.” Thunberg, speaking from Athens, also denounced “mistreatment and abuses” during her detention but did not go into specifics.