Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has claimed she was mistreated while detained by Israeli authorities after being intercepted during the Global Sumud Flotilla mission to Gaza. According to correspondence obtained by The Guardian, Swedish officials informed Thunberg’s family about her condition following her arrest.
Thunberg told officials she was forced to pose for photos holding unknown flags, and lawyers for the flotilla activists reported that detainees suffered from insufficient food, denied medication, and lack of clean water. Fellow activist Windfield Beaver described Thunberg’s treatment as terrible and said she was used for propaganda purposes.
An official visiting Thunberg said she was kept in a bedbug-infested cell with minimal food and water, causing dehydration and rashes. She reportedly spent long periods sitting on hard surfaces. A journalist who was with the flotilla claimed she was humiliated by being wrapped in an Israeli flag and paraded as a trophy.
Israeli embassy officials denied the allegations, calling them “complete lies” and insisted all legal rights and access to care were upheld. Thunberg, along with other activists, was deported to Greece on October 6, after being held at a high-security prison in the Negev desert.
