‘Tied me up, took selfies’: Greta Thunberg alleges torture by Israeli guards, says they wrote ‘wh*re’ on her luggage

Greta Thunberg shares shocking torture details from Israeli detention

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused Israeli authorities of mistreatment and inhuman behaviour after being detained during the Freedom Flotilla mission, which aimed to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in war-torn Gaza.

According to Thunberg, Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla using water cannons before detaining more than 400 people, including her and several other activists, who were later held in a high-security prison.

Speaking to Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet, Thunberg described harrowing details of alleged torture, beatings, and humiliation during her five-day detention.

“The guards have no empathy or humanity, and they keep taking selfies with me. There’s a lot I don’t remember. (They) tied me and took selfies. They dragged me to the opposite side from where the others were sitting, and I had the flag around me the whole time. They hit and kicked me," Thunberg said.

Thunberg recounted that once the flotilla was stopped, she and others were dragged to a fenced area where they were hit, kicked, and mocked by guards.

“It was kind of dystopian. I saw maybe 50 people sitting in a row on their knees with handcuffs and their foreheads against the ground,” she said.

She added that her hands were tied tightly with cable ties as guards took selfies with her while she was restrained. Each time she lifted her head, she was kicked.

Thunberg said her luggage was later returned covered in obscene graffiti, including drawings of the Israeli flag, an erect penis, and the words “Wh**e Greta.”

Threats of gassing and harsh prison conditions

She alleged that around 60 detainees were crammed into a small outdoor cage under the scorching sun, denied sufficient water, and threatened with being gassed.

“Then guards came and said, ‘We are going to gas you.’ It was standard for them to say that. They held up a gas cylinder and threatened to press it against us,” she said.

“Personally, I don’t want to share what I was subjected to because I don’t want it to make headlines and ‘Greta has been tortured,’ because that’s not the story here,” she said.

Thunberg stressed that her experience should highlight the far worse realities faced by Palestinian prisoners.

“What we have been through is only a small, small part of what Palestinians have experienced. On the walls of our prison cells, we saw bullet holes with bloodstains and messages carved into the walls by Palestinian prisoners who had been there before us,” she told Aftonbladet.

Israel denies allegations

The Israeli embassy has strongly denied Thunberg’s allegations, calling them “false and politically motivated.” In an official statement, it said:

“All detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were given access to water, food and toilets; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.”

Background: The Global Sumud Flotilla

The Freedom Flotilla, part of the Global Sumud mission, consisted of 437 activists, lawyers, and parliamentarians aboard over 40 vessels. The group set out to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza amid the ongoing blockade.

This was Greta Thunberg’s second arrest during a similar aid mission this year. She has since called on the international community to focus on the plight of Palestinians facing famine, displacement, and violence under the blockade.