FRENCH MEP Imminent Deportation After Solitary Confinement in Israel
The illegal detention of four French nationals, including Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament, Yanis Mhamdi, a French journalist, Reva Seifert-Viard, an environmental activist, and Pascal Mauroieras, a marine engineer, in Israeli jails is intolerable. Members of the left-wing political party in the French Parliament are urgently requesting an audience with French President Emmanuel Macron.
DOCUMENT: Letter from La France Insoumise requesting an urgent hearing with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding Freedom Flotilla detainees in Israel [CLICK HERE] to read.
Upon returning to France, Dr. Baptiste André, a French physician, confirmed that the Israeli authorities had presented a document titled “deportation,” which falsely claimed that the 12 members of the Freedom Flotilla had entered Israel unlawfully. However, evidence indicates that the activists were apprehended in international waters, 185 km from Israel’s territorial waters, and were forcibly taken to Ben Gurion Airport. The Freedom Flotilla’s vessel, “Madeleen,” was subsequently brought to the port of Ashdod, Israel. André further alleged that the Israeli authorities mistreated the passengers of the humanitarian aid boat, intentionally depriving them of sleep during their detention, particularly targeting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. He also confirmed that they faced challenges in obtaining food and water, which is not surprising given that starvation and sleep deprivation are among Israel’s well-documented methods of coercion, in addition to torture. Concerning French MEP Rima Hassan, the Israeli Detention Review Tribunal has determined that she remains in custody; however, she is permitted to leave Israel at any time, contingent upon her acceptance of deportation. Should she decline to leave, she will be subject to another trial. Yesterday afternoon, around 5:00 p.m., Rima Hassan was moved from Neve Tirza Prison back to Givon Prison, where the other detainees are held. It has been reported that she was placed in solitary confinement at Neve Tirza for inscribing “Free Palestine” on the wall of her cell in Givon Prison. The Israeli authorities had relocated two members of the Freedom Flotilla, Brazilian Thiago Ávila and French-Palestinian Rima Hassan, to different prison facilities, isolating them from the rest, where they were subjected to solitary confinement.
During an interview with French outlet L’Humanité, Rima Hassan’s lawyer, Hadeel Abu Saleh, a lawyer with the Adalah organisation, has revealed the conditions of her detention in Israel…
IMAGE: French MEP Rima Hassan, detained at the damp, dilapidated and cockroach-infested Neve Tirza women’s prison in Israel (Source: YNET)
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Arthur Dumas reports for L’Humanité…
(Translated from French to English)
Rima Hassan’s lawyer reveals the conditions of her detention in Israel: “They kept insulting and mocking her”
Detained since the Gaza flotilla boat was intercepted, MEP Rima Hassan is expected to be deported to Paris on Thursday, June 12. Hadeel Abu Saleh, a lawyer with the Adalah organisation, tells “L’Humanité” about the conditions of her detention in Israel.
INTERVIEW:
You were able to see Rima Hassan. What is her state of mind now that she has announced her intention to start a hunger strike?
Yes, I saw her on Wednesday at the Neve Tirza prison, a women’s prison located near the one where she was previously held with the other activists in Givon. During our meeting, she told me that if the Israeli authorities kept her in solitary confinement, then she would begin a hunger strike. Since the Israeli authorities were taking punitive measures against her and Tiago Ávila, she wanted to make a statement and apply pressure.
After leaving Neve Tirza Prison at 4:30 p.m., I learned around 5:00 p.m. that she was being transferred back to Givon Prison. She was taken back to where the other activists were, so I assume she hasn’t started a hunger strike. But I have no contact with her at the moment.
So the Israeli authorities first transferred her to Neve Tirza Prison and then placed her in solitary confinement after she wrote “Free Palestine” on a wall in Givon Prison. Later, the same authorities brought her back to the first location. What do you think is their strategy?
First of all, I think they want to make her life difficult. They were aggressive towards her from the moment she arrived. For example, at the deportation department, the investigation was very aggressive from the start. During her hearing, which was held in Hebrew, Rima asked for a translation, which was refused.
I know that diplomats were involved and that the French embassy contacted them. When I was in Neve Tirza prison, I tried to pressure the prison authorities to bring her back to Givon, but they wouldn’t agree. Half an hour after I left, I received a call saying that the embassy had managed to pressure them to bring her back to Givon. After that, they finally sent her back.
So you confirm to us that the French authorities acted in his favour?
That’s what we learned. For my part, I intervened, but the authorities told me that the transfer decision had been made and that they couldn’t cancel it. But, according to the call I received from the embassy, the French authorities put pressure on the Israeli authorities, and that’s how Rima Hassan was sent back to Givon prison.
From what she told you, what treatment did she receive during her detention?
First of all, they constantly insulted her and mocked her ideology. On Wednesday, when Rima Hassan was transferred to Neve Tirzah, she was sent to an unsanitary, windowless cell with cockroaches, cigarette butts, and sewage under the bed. They didn’t allow me into the cell—they never do—but I can tell you, as a lawyer who visits inmates in this prison, that these are not normal conditions.
She also explained to me that she wasn’t allowed to shower and wasn’t given anything to eat. Due to her solitary confinement, she wasn’t allowed to go out for a walk either. Normally, prisoners are allowed out for an hour.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on X that Rima Hassan and the three other French people on board the Madleen would be deported to France on Thursday or Friday. Can you confirm this?
According to the information we received, the Israeli immigration service has arranged for her to be placed on a plane departing at 4:15 a.m. Whether she decides to leave or not depends on her decision. However, she stated during her hearing that if she is not released and allowed to continue her mission with the flotilla, she would prefer to be deported.
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Header featured image (edited) credit: French MEP, Rima Hassan (Source: Original picture from Laurrent Joyeux). Emphasis added by (TLB) editors.
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