Gaza Flotilla Detainee Describes Rape in ’Israeli’ Custody

By Staff, Agencies

A Gaza flotilla activist, Anna Liedtke, said she was subjected to sexual assault and abuse during detention by "Israeli" prison guards, according to interviews and a criminal complaint filed in "Israel". She said the incident occurred during a strip-search, with male guards watching and laughing.

Liedtke, 25, joined a flotilla sailing from Europe to Gaza with humanitarian aid last autumn. "Israeli" occupation forces intercepted her boat in international waters on 8 October and took her to the "Israel" -occupied territories, where she was detained for five days.

The abuse and violence directed at flotilla participants in "Israeli" prisons, including rape, were intended to intimidate, Liedtke said.

“It’s clear they want to break our will and silence us, making this so traumatic that we will never talk about Palestine again,” she told the Guardian.

However, she told friends and doctors within days. In December she became the first flotilla activist to publicly speak about rape in “Israeli” detention. More than a dozen others have reported sexual assault, most anonymously.

Lawyers representing Liedtke have filed a complaint urging authorities to investigate her reports. “There is no reason for me to be ashamed,” she said, adding, “Whenever we are silent, they will do it to another person.”

Lawyers representing Liedtke have filed a complaint urging authorities to investigate her reports.

 “There is no reason for me to be ashamed,” she said, adding, “Whenever we are silent, they will do it to another person.”

Liedtke’s lawyer, Muna Haddad, said the complaint challenges an “Israeli culture of impunity” over detainee abuse and seeks accountability.

“It is Anna’s wish to seek justice and exhaust all avenues to hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable,” Haddad said, adding that sexual violence against Palestinian detainees has been a recurring issue.

By refusing to be shamed, Liedtke has transformed the attack into part of her activism, becoming a voice for those still in "Israeli" jails or who might be targeted in future.

She said speaking out may not end abuse in detention but remains a responsibility she feels as a political activist.

“I don’t think [speaking out] will lead to the end of rape in detention,” she said, adding, “This is not just my personal experience, it is more systematic,” and that her experience is “way, way less than what Palestinian prisoners experience.”

Separately, "Israel" has normalized torture of Palestinians held in its jails, while officials have celebrated abuse of foreign activists and denounced the failed attempt to prosecute soldiers over a well-documented assault and rape.

The UN listed "Israel" for sexual violence in conflict, while Britain, Australia, and France raised concerns or opened investigations into reported abuse in "Israeli" detention.

Reflecting on her experience, Liedtke said she had prepared for possible abuse before joining the flotilla but found that “nothing can prepare you” for such experiences, urging activists to remain committed to their mission.

She said she was verbally abused and subjected to a strip-search despite refusing consent, with male personnel able to see her during the procedure.

Later, Liedtke said she was taken blindfolded and handcuffed to "Ketziot" prison, where she was strip-searched again without consent, despite having already undergone a search earlier.

She further said she was held in poor conditions before being transferred to "Givon" prison, where she said guards forced her into a non-consensual strip-search and sexually assaulted her while male soldiers watched and laughed.

She noted that the incident may have been recorded due to the presence of security cameras in the prison.

Afterwards, the activists were deported to Jordan on 12 October, where Liedtke, who had been on hunger strike during detention, met doctors and psychologists.

She then began speaking publicly about the abuse, telling a fellow journalist: “Make sure you include in your report that at least one woman was sexually assaulted.”

Upon returning to Germany, Liedtke publicly described the reported rape at a conference on political detainees, saying she felt relief after speaking out.

She further said that other women from the flotilla reported similar experiences, while support outweighed online criticism, adding that she continues to deal with trauma but remains committed to her activism, saying the experience was “worth it” to bring hope for future flotillas.

The "Israeli" occupation forces rejected reports of abuse during the flotilla interception, referring questions to the "Israel" Prison Service [IPS], which also denied the reports.