Korean activists who were detained by Israeli forces and later released say they were subjected to sexual and other abuses by Israeli troops.
The Korea Freedom Flotilla Project (KFFP), the Korean Council of Physicians for Humanitarian Action, Palestine Emergency Action and other groups held a press conference on May 28 at Green Hospital in Jungnang District, Seoul, where they called for an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
At the briefing, Kim Ah-hyun (activist name Haecho), Kim Dong-hyun and Korean‑American activist Jonathan Victor Lee (activist name Seungjun) testified about the mistreatment they endured after being captured. Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyun arrived together at Incheon International Airport in the early hours of the 22nd; Victor Lee arrived on the afternoon of the 25th on a flight from Bangkok.
Kim Ah-hyun (Haecho) said, “Men were tortured with Tasers, and women were sexually harassed and raped. I heard soldiers jeer and shout orders, and I heard fellow flotilla members being beaten. The screams went on so long they felt suffocating.”
She added, “One crew member was shot in the thigh and the wound worsened because he wasn’t treated. The container was full of people with broken bones, but no one received medical care.”
Kim testified, “On the Israeli occupation forces’ prison ship, I was beaten while enduring racist remarks. When I was slapped a second time I heard a ringing in my ear; by the third slap my nose bled and I felt nauseous.”
She also said her passport had been invalidated, which she said increased her danger after the capture, and added, “Returning to Korea brings relief, but the country still feels cruel.”
Activist Kim Dong-hyun said, “I heard people crying out in pain from torture, and it sounded like repeated sexual assaults were taking place. We held a painful position for three hours, and during the five- to ten-minute transfer to the port we were beaten countless times.”
He also criticized Israeli journalists, saying, “When we disembarked the prison ship with our hands bound, we passed two Israeli reporters who simply looked at us and did not protest.”
Victor Lee (Seungjun) said, “In a dark container, armed soldiers beat me and shocked me with electricity; my right rib was fractured. They forced me to lift my head to watch a comrade being assaulted and used flashbangs and beanbag rounds — nonlethal control ammunition — that caused serious injuries.”
He added, “Everyone was beaten without exception, and several people were subjected to sexual violence. The physical and sexual abuse we experienced was severe.”
Green Hospital director Lim Sang-hyuk attended the press conference and described their medical conditions.
Dr. Lim said Kim Dong-hyun was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, Kim Ah-hyun has a perforated eardrum, and Victor Lee has broken ribs and still shows round marks consistent with a Taser strike.
The Israeli Embassy in Seoul strongly denied the activists’ claims.
The embassy said, “We reject these baseless claims once again, as no evidence or proof has been presented,” and accused the activists of joining the flotilla from the outset with the sole intent of demonizing Israel and harming its image by breaking the law.
The activists had boarded an international aid ship delivering supplies to the Gaza Strip when Israeli forces intercepted and detained them. They were released on the 20th. After South Korea’s foreign ministry requested their release and deportation, Israel deported them immediately without further detention.
Kim Ah-hyun, whose passport was canceled, said, “I’ve scheduled a meeting with Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) and the foreign ministry on the 2nd of next month,” and added that she plans to reapply for her passport.
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