France prosecutes Israel over sexual violence against flotilla nationals
Shafaq News- Paris
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Friday that Paris has asked the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of French nationals who took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza.
Barrot told reporters the referral followed a report from France's consul general in Turkiye, who informed him that French citizens had “been subjected to sexual violence, extreme cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation,” acts he said likely constitute criminal offenses.
Flottille pour Gaza : Jean-Noël Barrot annonce avoir décidé jeudi 28 mai de saisir la Procureure de la République : “les faits qui m’ont été rapportés sont susceptibles de qualification pénale. C’est à la justice de décider ou non d’engager des poursuites”. pic.twitter.com/e5Z5xVIyOk
— France Inter (@franceinter) May 29, 2026
Canada, Spain, and France had all summoned their Israeli diplomatic missions on May 20, 2026, over attacks carried out by Israeli authorities against participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Israeli media had earlier reported that the Israeli Navy began taking control of the flotilla's vessels and transferring a number of activists onto Israeli naval ships off the coast of Cyprus on May 18, before the vessels were boarded and participants detained.
