An Australian activist who was detained by Israel has accused the Australian government of not providing enough support, following allegations of mistreatment from Israeli authorities.
Juliet Lamont was one of hundreds of activists, including seven Australians, who were on the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of ships intercepted by Israel’s navy off Gaza last week.
They were arrested and detained in the high-security Ketziot prison near the Israel-Egypt border, then deported to Jordan last night.
Activists taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla were intercepted by Israel’s navy last week. (Reuters: Stefanos Rapanis)
Speaking from Jordan’s capital Amman, Ms Lamont said the Australian government was “absolutely shameful” in helping with their extraction.
“We are finally out … they [the Australian government] have not really supported us at all,” Ms Lamont told ABC News Breakfast this morning.
Ms Lamont claimed that other countries helped facilitate their transport from Israel into Jordan and said she was “really upset that the Australian government have been so shameful in their support for their citizens”.
She said the Italian government had been supportive.
Ms Lamont also claimed that the Australians were the last to be released.
Other detainees were released earlier in the week, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who landed in Athens on Monday.
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The ABC yesterday revealed that the Australians had complained to diplomatic officials of serious mistreatment Israeli authorities.
Reports prepared by DFAT and provided to the ABC by the detainees’ families said the prison guards had denied an Australian prisoner water and had used “sleep deprivation as a form of torture”.
Allegations of mistreatment
Ms Lamont said the group was attempting to deliver baby food and essential aid to Gaza when they were intercepted by Israeli authorities.
She also claimed that the activists had been mistreated.
“We were put in the most outrageous prison … and we’ve been left there with no access to medication and no access to food,” Ms Lamont claimed.
Israel has not responded to the specific allegations that emerged this week but previously rejected claims prisoners were mistreated.
“The claims of the mistreatment of Australians who were on board are complete lies,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
“All their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.”
Government says it worked hard
A spokesperson for Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said officials from the Department of Forreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had worked hard to support Australians who were detained in Israel.
“Our diplomats travelled to Ketziot multiple times, conducted in-person visits and welfare checks,” the spokesperson said.
“They advocated to Israeli authorities on behalf of the Australians and provided updates to detainees’ families.”
The spokesperson said officials worked to ensure the release and deportation of Australians.
Returning to Australia
The principal lawyer for the activists said the Australians will potentially be flown to Istanbul, with arrangements to bring them back to Australia to be made in the coming days.
Bernadette Zaydon said the legal team was now looking into concerning alleged human rights abuses.
“There’s been a lot of concerns relating to the way that Israel has treated the hostages, not just when they were brought to Israel at the port, but also in the prison itself,” Ms Zaydon said.
Lawyer Bernadette Zaydon is representing the activists. (ABC News Breakfast)
Ms Zaydon said lawyers were denied access to information about the detained Australians and relied on diplomats for information.
“Essentially there was a blackout,” she said.
“They basically were left in the dark and weren’t able to give any meaningful legal representation.”
All flotillas attempting to break the blockade of Gaza have been intercepted or attacked by Israel in international waters since 2010.
Israel has tightly controlled the entry of goods and aid into the Gaza Strip since 2007, restricting access to its coastline.
Ms Zaydon said while previous missions indicated that the flotilla would be intercepted, the mission had not broken any laws as it was still in international waters.
“They unlawfully detained the hostages and taken them to Israel. Now, at no point did anyone have any plan to go to Israel itself, they were heading to Gaza to take humanitarian aid,” Ms Zaydon said.