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By Euronews
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France is to launch an inquiry into the treatment of its nationals on board the Gaza flotilla. This decision, announced on Friday by the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, follows reports that activists were subjected humiliation, rape and acts of torture while in detention.
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“Based on a report I requested from our Consul General in Turkey, which detailed sexual violence, exposure to cold, beatings, and repeated humiliations of French nationals – all acts that could constitute criminal offenses”, said Barrot.
“I decided yesterday (Thursday) to refer the matter to the Public Prosecutor, in accordance with Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This case is now in the hands of the justice system.”
Italy, Ireland and Spain had already called on the EU to sanction Israel’s far-right national security minister, who had posted a video showing detained activists from the Gaza-bound flotilla forced to their knees with hands bound.
A global outcry erupted after Itamar Ben Gvir published the video of foreign activists from the flotilla who were detained at sea by Israel and awaiting deportation at the southern port of Ashdod.
Some days ago, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the activists’ treatment “intolerable” and demanded an apology by Israel. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had called the treatment of the activists “unacceptable.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla had set sail from Turkey in an attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, after Israeli forces intercepted a previous convoy.
Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.
During the Gaza war, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely.
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