France orders investigation into abuse allegations against nationals on Gaza flotilla

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Friday that the government has requested the public prosecutor to investigate the treatment of French nationals aboard a recent activist flotilla bound for Gaza. The decision follows a report from the French Consul General in Turkey, which detailed allegations of sexual violence, beatings, exposure to the cold, and repeated humiliation suffered by activists during detention by Israeli forces.

Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot stated that the acts described in the consular report were likely to constitute criminal offences. He confirmed that he had decided to refer the matter to the public prosecutor on Thursday, emphasising the severity of the allegations which included rape and acts of torture. The investigation marks a formal governmental response to the treatment of citizens detained last week while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza.

Organisers of the flotilla reported that several participants were hospitalised with injuries and that at least 15 individuals had reported sexual assaults, including rape. While the activists have since been released, the scale of the alleged abuse has prompted legal action from their representatives. Lawyers for the French flotilla activists announced plans to file a separate legal complaint regarding the violence their clients endured.

The legal representatives declined an invitation from Barrot’s cabinet to discuss the matter, issuing a statement that criticised the French government’s position on the conflict. The lawyers stated that the "buzz from the minister's declarations" would not obscure the fact that the French government has supported the state of Israel since the beginning of the war, which they described as a genocide.

This development occurs against a backdrop of heightened international scrutiny regarding the conduct of Israeli forces in Gaza. Recent accounts, including a personal testimony from an Israeli soldier expressing shame over their actions, have added to the pressure on governments to address allegations of misconduct. The French inquiry remains pending, with the specific legal outcomes dependent on the public prosecutor’s findings.