Australian Activist Detained in Israel Slams Government for “Shameful” Lack of Support: “We Were Left to Rot in Prison”
- Juliet Lamont, an Australian activist, has accused the Australian government of abandoning her and other detainees in Israel, claiming they received little to no support.
- Lamont was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of ships intercepted by Israel’s navy off Gaza last week, and was detained in a high-security prison near the Israel-Egypt border.
- She alleges that other countries, including Italy, provided more support to their citizens, while the Australian government failed to come to their aid, leaving them to suffer in prison without access to medication and food.
Australian activist Juliet Lamont has launched a scathing attack on the Australian government, claiming they abandoned her and other detainees in Israel after they were arrested and detained in a high-security prison near the Israel-Egypt border.
Lamont was part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of ships intercepted by Israel’s navy off Gaza last week. She was among hundreds of activists, including seven Australians, who were detained and mistreated by Israeli authorities.
In a heart-wrenching interview from Jordan’s capital Amman, Lamont slammed the Australian government for its “absolutely shameful” lack of support, saying, “We are finally out… they have not really supported us at all.”
Lamont claimed that other countries, including Italy, had facilitated their transport from Israel into Jordan, while the Australian government was “not really doing anything” to help its citizens. “I’m really upset that the Australian government has been so shameful in their support for their citizens,” she said.
The Australian government has responded, saying that officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) had worked hard to support Australians who were detained in Israel. However, Lamont disputed this, saying that she and her fellow detainees were the last to be released, with other nations providing more support to their citizens.
Lamont also alleged that the activists were mistreated in prison, with prison guards denying them access to medication and food. “We were put in the most outrageous prison… and we’ve been left there with no access to medication and no access to food,” she claimed.
Israel has denied allegations of mistreatment, saying that the claims are “complete lies” and that all legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.
The lawyer for the activists, Bernadette Zaydon, has expressed concerns over human rights abuses and is investigating the matter further. The Australians are expected to be flown to Istanbul, with arrangements to bring them back to Australia to be made in the coming days.