Israel denies German flotilla activist's claim of alleged rape in Israeli detention

A German journalist and Gaza flotilla activist, Anna Liedtke, has accused female Israeli prison guards of raping her during a forced strip-search at Givon Prison in October 2025. Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel – filed a complaint on her behalf on June 1, demanding a criminal investigation. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) has "categorically denied and entirely unsubstantiated" the allegations, rejecting any claims of rape, sexual assault, or systematic abuse by its personnel. Liedtke claims the assault occurred after she was transferred from Ketziot Prison following the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla. She alleged that she was subjected to multiple forced strip-searches, culminating in a violent incident at Givon Prison where guards allegedly sexually assaulted her. The IPS maintains that all detainees were held lawfully and their rights protected. These claims follow other allegations of sexual assault and mistreatment by participants in previous Gaza-bound flotillas.