Sweden Says Alleged Mistreatment of Greta Thunberg by Israeli Forces 'Very Serious'

1 week ago 22

October 6, 2025 | 12:54 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Sunday that reports claiming climate activist Greta Thunberg was mistreated and forced to kiss the Israeli flag are “very serious” if proven true.

“Even before the arrest, we had conveyed to Israel the importance of respecting the safety and consular rights of Swedish citizens,” Stenergard said in a statement to the Swedish news agency TT, as quoted by Anadolu.

“I have taken note of the reports of allegations of abusive treatment. If the reports are true, this is very serious. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the embassy are working to bring the Swedish citizens home as soon as possible,” she added.

Stenergard emphasized that Sweden has insisted on proper treatment for detainees, noting that “the needs for food and water must be met, and that all detainees must be given the opportunity to meet with legal counsel if they so desire.”

She also said Sweden has reinforced its diplomatic presence in Tel Aviv with additional staff from the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm.

Earlier on Sunday, the Swedish Foreign Ministry declined to confirm media reports alleging that Thunberg was mistreated by Israeli authorities, including being forced to pose with the Israeli flag.

The ministry said its representatives met the detainees on Friday and remain in contact with their families, while efforts to secure further consular access are ongoing.

Thunberg is among more than 400 activists, parliamentarians, and lawyers detained after Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla aid convoy to Gaza earlier this week. Some detainees have since been deported, while legal proceedings for others continue.

According to The Guardian, Thunberg told Swedish officials that she was held in a lice-infested cell and denied adequate food and water. The British newspaper also reported that Israeli forces allegedly photographed her while she was forced to hold the Israeli flag.

Other flotilla participants corroborated these claims. Turkish activist Ersin Celik told Anadolu that Israeli forces “severely tortured Greta before our eyes,“ and “made her crawl and made her kiss the Israeli flag.“

Italian journalist Lorenzo D’Agostino added that she was “wrapped in an Israeli flag and paraded like a trophy.”

This was Thunberg’s second trip to Gaza, following her participation in the Madleen mission in early June.

Baptiste André, a French doctor who joined a previous aid flotilla to Gaza, told reporters upon returning to France that Israeli border officers mocked and deliberately prevented passengers, including Thunberg, from sleeping.

In an earlier statement, the Adalah legal group noted that although Israeli authorities keep records of recurring participants in aid convoys, activists like Thunberg are typically subjected only to short-term detention and deportation.

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