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Journalist Noa Avishag Schnall accused Israeli guards of treating her and different prisoners with “excessive brutality” on Monday, together with beatings and “threats of rape,” after being taken by Israeli forces from worldwide waters whereas aboard the Conscience Freedom Flotilla.
In a video assertion revealed to social media, Schnall – a Los Angeles-born photojournalist who had been reporting from the flotilla for Drop Website Information – recalled the “excessive brutality” she allegedly skilled throughout her captivity.
“Our boat, the Conscience, was attacked in worldwide waters round 5 a.m. Wednesday morning,” mentioned Schnall, who appeared within the video with a black eye and bruises. She added:
The brutality started instantly. We have been taken by way of a number of ranges of administration and the primary of many strip searches. No less than one lady has reported being bodily penetrated by guards who laughed at her ache. Many flotilla members reported watching their valuables being looted by guards throughout bag searches. All of us had our palms violently shoved in the direction of the bottom and arms held in stress positions behind us, many with zip-ties, and have been led by way of processing and sorted into teams of women and men, then blindfolded. A number of of the 150 whole flotilla members, together with me, have been focused for excessive brutality all through imprisonment.
Schnall accused Israeli jail guards of beating her and different members of the flotilla and of blocking her airways.
“Any flotilla member who upset the Israeli guards was subjected to twisted and tightened handcuffs and a few obtained beatings,” she mentioned. “I used to be hung from the steel shackles on my wrists and ankles and crushed within the abdomen, again, face, ear, and cranium by a gaggle of women and men guards, considered one of whom sat on my neck and face, blocking my airways.”
The journalist continued, “Many comrades, understandably, don’t need their id made public when recounting this therapy. In the course of the night, the boys have been suffering from guards with assault canine and weapons. The ladies have been threatened with pepper spray. Our cell was awoken with threats of rape.”
Reacting to Schnall’s assertion on Monday, Drop Website Information reporter Ryan Grim wrote, “The state of Israel claims to be a protected haven for Jews, however in Noa’s case, she was taken there in opposition to her will and brutalized.”
A number of Palestinian medical doctors and healthcare staff alleged related violent therapy by the hands of Israeli army personnel in a documentary earlier this yr.
“I used to be in a nasty approach, my ribs have been damaged. However inside, throughout interrogation, they might repeatedly beat me,” mentioned Palestinian paramedic Walid Khalili. “They hung me up, everybody was hung up, blood flowing from everybody. They began torturing me, they electrocuted me.”
The submit American Journalist Says She Skilled ‘Excessive Brutality’ at Arms of Israeli Guards, Together with Beatings and ‘Threats of Rape’ first appeared on Mediaite.