Italian MP Dario Carotenuto and journalist Alessandro Mantovani have returned to Italy after being detained in Israel following the interception of a Freedom Flotilla vessel headed toward Gaza.
The two arrived at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on a flight from Athens, where they were welcomed by fellow politicians, activists and relatives. Both men described harsh treatment during their detention.
Mantovani, a reporter for Il Fatto Quotidiano, said he was transferred to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport “in handcuffs and chains around my ankles” and subjected to an aggressive search. He also claimed Israeli naval forces fired twice at the vessel before boarding it.
Carotenuto, a member of Italy’s Five Star Movement, described what he called humiliating and intimidating conditions. “They kept me for hours in a freezing room and then took me to the airport handcuffed like a criminal,” he said.
The MP also alleged that several activists were beaten and injured during detention, with some reportedly blindfolded. “Politics is not doing enough,” he said, calling for the immediate release of those still being held in Israel.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry later confirmed that the remaining participants in the flotilla operation were being transferred to Eilat ahead of repatriation flights.