Activists allege severe abuse after being detained by Israeli military forces
Published: 28 May. 2026, 16:02
Updated: 28 May. 2026, 17:52
![Activists Kim Ah-hyun, from the left, Kim Dong-hyeon and Jonathan Victor Lee, who had been detained by the Israeli government, hold a press conference in Green Hospital in Jungnang District, eastern Seoul, on May 28. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/28/1f27c390-deee-4c21-aee4-c61a67c57d3d.jpg)
Activists Kim Ah-hyun, from the left, Kim Dong-hyeon and Jonathan Victor Lee, who had been detained by the Israeli government, hold a press conference in Green Hospital in Jungnang District, eastern Seoul, on May 28. [YONHAP]
Activists detained from aboard an international aid vessel bound for Gaza claimed they suffered severe abuse, including sexual assault, at the hands of the Israeli military.
“The [detained] men were tortured with Tasers and the [detained] women were subjected to sexual harassment and sexual violence," said activist Kim Ah-hyun during a news conference held at the Green Hospital in Jungnang District, eastern Seoul, on Thursday.
Kim was recently released by Israeli forces after being seized aboard a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters off the Gaza Strip — which is currently a travel-restricted area for Koreans — on May 19. It was her second attempt to enter the region.
The conference was also attended by activist groups such as the Korea Flotilla for Free Palestine (KFFP), the Association of Physicians for Humanism and Urgent Action by S.Korean Civil Society in Solidarity with Palestine.
“I could hear people screaming in agony under torture, and it seemed like sexual abuse was happening repeatedly," claimed another activist, Kim Dong-hyeon. Kim was detained by the Israeli military after the ship he was on was intercepted near Cyprus a day before Kim Ah-hyun was seized.
![Activists Kim Ah-hyun, left, and Kim Dong-hyeon, who had been detained by the Israeli government, speak to reporters upon their arrival in Korea at the Incheon International Airport on May 22. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/05/28/f64e5576-2613-42c2-8663-9a290bebd3f3.jpg)
Activists Kim Ah-hyun, left, and Kim Dong-hyeon, who had been detained by the Israeli government, speak to reporters upon their arrival in Korea at the Incheon International Airport on May 22. [YONHAP]
“I was beaten countless times for five to 10 minutes that I lost count while my hands kept bleeding from being tied up in cable ties," said Kim.
“I was beaten and shocked with electricity by armed soldiers inside a dark container, and my right rib was fractured,” said Korean American activist Jonathan Victor Lee.
The activists had boarded an international humanitarian aid vessel delivering supplies to Gaza before being seized by the Israeli military. They were released on May 20.
Kim Ah-hyun and Kim Dong-hyeon returned to Korea on Friday, while Lee returned to Korea on Monday.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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