Rahendro Herubowo, an Indonesian journalist and activist, recalls that torture began almost immediately after he was thrown onto the deck of an Israeli military ship converted into a detention vessel. He and fellow activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) were forced to lie down on a flooded floor, then moved into a large container where armed, masked soldiers assaulted them.
Brutal Assaults and Inhumane Conditions
"We were beaten there. We weren't allowed to stand up straight while moving, so we half-squatted and were beaten on the stomach, waist, left and right," Herubowo told Arab News. "I fell onto the ground, and they kicked and stepped on my back. Then they shocked me with a taser. I screamed as loudly as I could, and then they released me into the detention area."
The container where the 43-year-old was held for three days eventually contained about 180 activists-turned-prisoners, while hundreds of others from the Gaza-bound aid mission were held in other containers on the Israeli military ship. The GSF, comprising about 50 boats and some 400 activists from across the globe, was sailing towards Gaza to breach Israel's maritime blockade and deliver food and critical medical aid. They were on the final leg of their journey on May 18 and 19 when Israeli forces surrounded and took control of their small boats, abducting them in international waters off the coast of Cyprus.
Herubowo, who returned to Indonesia on May 24 and is still undergoing medical treatment for his injuries, recalled horrific conditions on the prison ship: insufficient water and no medical aid for the wounded. "They would throw stun grenades at us to force us into a tighter corner just before giving out water. They would also point their guns randomly and shout at us," he said. "But this is nothing compared to what Palestinians have to endure throughout their lives, especially those in Gaza still living through a genocide."
Witnessing Brutality Firsthand
Sameera Mahboobdeen, a Sri Lankan activist who served as an emergency medic in the flotilla mission, saw her fellow activists "injured, in pain, bleeding and brutally attacked" while in Israeli captivity. "We were taken into this warship, and the brutality of the Israelis, the brutality of the IDF that we were hearing and seeing in videos, we got to witness it," she told Arab News. After triaging with other activists who were also doctors, they found 35 people with rib injuries and possible fractures, another five with head injuries, and at least 12 women who were sexually assaulted. However, when they requested medical attention, none was given.
"We did not see soldiers; we saw mercenaries," Sameera said. "Soldiers have ethics and moral obligations; these people did not have any. They were only focusing on how they could assault, torture, and brutalize a group of activists taking humanitarian aid for Gaza." The 39-year-old described being in Israeli detention as "the most horrible experience" she had faced in her life, though it did not amount to even 1 percent of what Palestinians endure daily. "Though we could not go to the shores of Gaza, we did show the world what Palestinians are going through," she said. "Think about the brutality and level of torture they can apply on the Palestinian people because they want to get rid of them. It's unimaginable, but we are witnesses even for that 1 percent of their brutality."
Legal Action and International Response
Herubowo and Sameera are part of Sumud Nusantara, a regional movement comprising activists from 10 Asian countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, that is part of the GSF mission. The Kuala Lumpur-based group recorded members' accounts of physical assault, use of excessive force, restrictions on food, water, sanitation and communication, as well as sleep deprivation and prolonged interrogation. Sumud Nusantara communications officer Haikal Zulkefli told Arab News that one member, Malaysian activist Razman Mat Ali, had to undergo surgery in Istanbul after his lung was punctured due to "severe physical abuse" by Israeli soldiers.
The movement is now coordinating with Malaysia's Foreign Ministry on legal action against Israel and plans to bring the case to the International Criminal Court. "What the IOF and Israel did is kidnapping, not just the detention of civilians," Zulkefli said, referring to the Malaysian government's official stance. "Malaysia will call for an independent international investigation into the interception and detention process."
