Original article: “Fuimos torturados”: Macarena Chahuán relata horror tras secuestro israelí en aguas internacionales
“We Were Tortured”, declared Chilean journalist Macarena Chahuán as she recounted the terrifying ordeal she endured after being abducted by Israel in international waters along with 180 other activists while participating in a humanitarian mission of the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza.
Last Thursday, Israel intercepted 23 boats from the flotilla less than 80 nautical miles off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, as they were making their way to the Palestinian enclave to confront genocide and provide urgent humanitarian aid to the population. During this assault, 181 civilians, including Chahuán, were abducted and taken to the Israeli ship Nahshon where, according to the journalist’s testimony, they were victims of psychological torture, physical violence, and prolonged isolation.
“We were stopped; they intercepted 23 out of 54 boats. One was left adrift. The Israeli military boarded the boat, destroyed everything, and left seven people stranded in the middle of the ocean, cut off from communication. The other 21 boats carried all detained members—prisoners, or rather hostages—onto a vessel unlike anything I had ever seen, not even in movies. It was a massive ship that resembled a concentration camp and a prison,” she recounted upon her arrival at Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago.
She indicated that the crew endured inhumane conditions: “We were tortured, subjected to extreme heat and extreme cold. They took away all our coats; I had no coat at all (…). 181 people confined in three containers within a 30-meter-square area. We couldn’t all fit inside the containers to sleep,” she explained.
Chahuán also reported that many activists were beaten by Israeli officials during the abduction and detention.
“Surely, they have the best tactics to immobilize you, making it seem quite simple, but it hurts a lot,” she stated.
“181 people were abducted (…) more than 35 ended up in the hospital. I have colleagues who are seriously injured, some with potentially significant long-term effects,” she emphasized.
Additionally, she indicated that the captors exerted a “strong psychological terror,” frequently using loud sound bombs.
“We were 12 hours without communication, with no access to phones or water. We begged for help, but it was denied,” she claimed.
Chahuán: “This Level of Impunity Cannot Be Normalized”
Chahuán, who managed to return to the country after being freed and transferred from Europe, accused the Greek government of complicity in the abduction and assault against the flotilla’s crew.
“Greece was fully complicit in the interception. There were Greek vessels alongside the Israeli ones, and they did not allow us to communicate when we reached land,” she stated in remarks reported by Diario. U de Chile.
Chahuán also expressed concern for the activists Thiago Ávila and Saif Abukeshek, who may have been subjected to torture and abuse during their captivity and who will remain detained until May 5, as ordered by an Israeli court, despite the absence of formal charges against them.
“I know Thiago has a dislocated shoulder and that both have been tortured. If they treated us this way at sea, what will happen now that they are detained in occupied territory?” she spoke.
To conclude, the Chilean journalist made a call to governments to take a stand and act against these types of aggressions perpetrated by Israel against humanitarian missions.
“There are countries that have already severed ties, and I believe it is necessary to mobilize to prevent this from happening again. This level of impunity cannot be normalized,” she affirmed.
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