Anna Liedtke, a 25-year-old German activist, has filed a criminal complaint in Israel alleging that female prison guards raped her during an illegal strip-search in Israeli detention. The attack occurred on 10 October at Givon prison, after Israeli forces intercepted her boat in international waters on 8 October while sailing to Gaza with humanitarian aid.
Details of the assault
According to Liedtke's complaint and interviews, guards forced her to kneel, covered her mouth to prevent screaming, and digitally penetrated her vagina and anus. Male guards were present and laughing, and she believes the assault may have been filmed. The attack took place in an area partially concealed by a curtain that was left open.
Liedtke had been subjected to two previous illegal strip-searches, at processing and at Ketziot prison, where she was forced to undress fully without consent. Israeli law requires consent for strip-searches and limits them to visual inspection in a closed room with only female officers present.
Systematic abuse allegations
Liedtke described the abuse as part of a systematic effort to intimidate activists. "It's clear they want to break our will and silence us, making this so traumatic that we will never talk about Palestine again," she told the Guardian. More than a dozen other flotilla participants have reported sexual assault, most anonymously.
Her lawyer, Muna Haddad of Adalah, a Palestinian human rights organization, said the complaint challenges a "culture of impunity" for prisoner abuse in Israel. "Sexual violence and rape are recurring violations that have been perpetrated against Palestinian prisoners for nearly three years… We are now seeing an escalation where Israel is prepared to expand this conduct to foreign citizens acting in solidarity with Palestinians," Haddad said.
International response
The UN added Israel to a blacklist for sexual violence in conflict in May, citing abuse by security forces including rape of male detainees. Britain raised concerns about sexual assault in Israeli detention centres at the UN Security Council this month. Australian police are investigating rape and torture allegations by flotilla participants, and French prosecutors have opened a war crimes inquiry into suspected torture of French citizens in Israeli detention.
An Israeli military spokesperson said the military "rejects allegations of abuse" by forces who intercepted the flotilla. An Israel Prison Service spokesperson stated that the allegations are "categorically denied and are entirely unsubstantiated" and that the IPS "rejects any allegation of rape, sexual assault or systematic abuse by its personnel."
Activist's resolve
Liedtke has spoken publicly about the rape since December, becoming the first flotilla activist to do so. "There is no reason for me to be ashamed," she said. "Whenever we are silent, they will do it to another person." She has transformed the attack into activism, encouraging others to speak out. "This is not just my personal experience, it is more systematic. And I cannot stress enough that it is way, way less than what Palestinian prisoners experience," she said.
