Released activists say they were tased, sexually harassed and sexually assaulted, testifying to Israeli abuses

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[Financial News] Activists who were seized by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and later released said the abuse they suffered was severe.
The Korean Headquarters for the Flotilla for the Liberation of Palestine (KFFP) and the Association of Physicians for Humanism held a press conference at Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, on the 28th, where they made the statement.
Kim Ah-hyun, known by her activist name Haecho, said, "The men were tased, and the women were sexually harassed and sexually assaulted." She added, "The flotilla participants were handcuffed, forced to kneel with their heads pressed to the ground, and left motionless in the scorching sun for about three hours."
Kim Dong-hyun, who was seized by the IDF a day before Kim Ah-hyun, testified, "At the entrance to the prison ship, I was violently strip-searched, and the entire process of having my passport and belongings taken away was recorded on camera by more than a dozen soldiers using flash photography."
He added, "On the prison ship, a soldier fired a fragmentation round that seriously injured one person's leg, and afterward, at least three others suffered serious injuries after being hit by fragmentation rounds and beanbag rounds."
They also said they had been injured by violence from the IDF. According to the KFFP, medical examinations found that Kim Ah-hyun had suffered a traumatic eardrum perforation from beatings, while Kim Dong-hyun and Lee Seung-jun experienced rib fractures and symptoms of rhabdomyolysis.
In response, the Embassy of Israel in South Korea said, "We once again reject these baseless claims, which have not been supported by any evidence or verification."
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According to News1, the embassy criticized the Korean activists as "lawbreakers who joined the flotilla from the outset solely for the purpose of demonizing Israel and damaging Israel's image."
Earlier, Kim Ah-hyun, aboard the Linah Al-Nabulsi with Lee Seung-jun, departed from Italy and was heading to the Gaza Strip when she was detained by the IDF on the 20th. Kim Dong-hyun was seized by the IDF on the 19th while sailing near Cyprus aboard the Kiriakos X of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).
After the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) asked Israel to release and deport the Korean activists, Israel deported them immediately without placing them in separate detention.
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bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter