Dáša Reimanová, a Slovak participant in the Global Sumud flotilla, was released by Israeli authorities after four days. The flotilla attempted to break the Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip. The activists were detained in international waters shortly after setting sail from the Turkish coast.
Reimanová is a documentary filmmaker who lives between London and Berlin. In her work, she explores socio-political themes with a focus on minorities and women. Speaking to Anna Šíposová of Rádiožurnál, STVR, she described her detention: “We were kept in a single container. They took us out one by one, beat each person, and threw them out the door. We heard every single one of us being attacked, and we picked each other up off the ground.”
As the Slovak documentarist say the detainees were never provided with any medication. “When we asked for water, they suddenly flooded us with seawater. While we were being detained, we all had to stand with our hands raised while they pointed guns at us.”
The activists were detained on the ship for 56 hours. This was not the first time Slovak citizens had joined a humanitarian aid vessel bound for Gaza. One Slovak participant had already taken part in a previous voyage; this time, there were two women and one man from Slovakia.
After 56 hours, the activists were disembarked in the port city of Ashdod. “From there, they took us through an administrative corridor, where they repeatedly threw us to the ground. They kept telling us that Palestine and Gaza do not exist, that only Israel exists, and that we should look them in the eyes and say that we love Israel,” stated Reimanová for STVR.
Later, the entire group was transferred to Eilat Airport. “The ambassadors were already there, but no one was allowed to speak to anyone. They started beating people in front of them as a show, so everyone could see it. Then we were allowed to proceed to the airport organized by the Turkish government, which took us to Istanbul.”
The Slovak Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday that a Slovak citizen had been deported from Israel to Turkey.
According to Dáša Reimanová, more than 9,400 Palestinian political prisoners and other detainees — including approximately 360 children and 87 women — remain held in Israel.
Source: STVR, Postoj, Denník N
