'Bedbugs, rashes': Greta Thunberg accuses Israel of harsh treatment in detention - here's what she said

Greta Thunberg on Saturday told Swedish authorities that she is being subjected to harsh treatment while in Israeli custody.

The environmental activist was detained and removed from a flotilla ship delivering aid to Gaza, as reported by the Guardian.

In an email from the Swedish foreign ministry to Thunberg’s associates, an official who visited her in custody reported that she said she was held in a bedbug-infested cell with insufficient food and water.

Also read: 'Dragged by hair, paraded in Israeli flag': Flotilla eyewitnesses detail Greta Thunberg’s harrowing detention; prison conditions harsh, unsanitary


“The embassy has been able to meet with Greta ,” the email read. “She informed of dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs . She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces.”

The Swedish ministry official added that another detainee reported seeing Thunberg being forced to hold flags for photos, raising concerns that the images may have been circulated.

At least two other flotilla members detained by Israeli forces and released on Saturday corroborated the claim.

“They dragged little Greta [Thunberg] by her hair before our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her, as a warning to others,” Turkish activist, a participant in the Sumud flotilla, was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency .

Also read: Protests, cameras & more: Flotilla ships failed to reach Gaza but won global attention - Here's how

Lorenzo D’Agostino, a journalist and fellow flotilla participant, stated upon his return to Istanbul that Thunberg was “wrapped in the Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy.”

Lawyers from the NGO Adalah stated that the crew members’ rights were “systematically violated,” with activists denied water, sanitation, medication, and prompt access to legal counsel, constituting “a clear breach of their fundamental rights to due process, impartial trial and legal representation.”

The Italian legal team representing the flotilla added that detainees were left “for hours without food or water – until late last night,” except for “a packet of crisps handed to Greta and shown to the cameras,” and reported instances of both verbal and physical abuse.

Thunberg’s vessel was among more than 40 boats intercepted by Israeli authorities on Thursday, with over 450 participants detained for their involvement in the coordinated Global Sumud Flotilla.

Between Thursday and Friday, Israeli forces intercepted all the flotilla boats, detaining every crew member on board. Most are being held at a high-security prison in the Negev Desert used to house Palestinian security prisoners, many accused by Israel of militant or terrorist activities.

During a visit to Ashdod on Thursday night, Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was filmed labeling the activists as “terrorists” while standing before them.

The Israeli embassy dismissed the allegations as “complete lies,” stating that “all detainees from the Hamas-Sumud provocation were provided with water, food, and toilet facilities; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including medical care, were fully upheld.”