The last Spanish member of the Global Sumud Flotilla, Reyes Rigo, She will be deported this Saturday after reaching an agreement with the Beersheb Prosecutor’s Office (Israel) to reduce the charges of which she was accused. Yesterday, the Israeli Public Ministry had requested preventive detention for this Spanish woman.
Since his arrest on October 1, several Israeli newspapers reported that Rigo allegedly “attacked the guard [la funcionaria] grabbing her by the left hand and digging his nails into her flesh” in the Ketziot maximum security prison. An accusation that both Rigo and other activists who were with her on the flotilla have denied.
Just yesterday, as the Spanish consul conveyed to Rigo’s family, an agreement was reached for his release and subsequent expulsion from the country: plead guilty of two crimes of assault against a prison officer and pay a fine of the equivalent of 10,000 shekels (about 2.650 euros). According to the councilor of Unidas Podemos in Palma City Council, Lucía Muñoz – who also participated in the flotilla – the family of this 56-year-old Mallorcan is now waiting to contact the lawyer defending her and pay the fine.
Throughout his appearances before the judge, Rigo has reported receiving mistreatment by Israeli officials, as have the rest of his colleagues before European media once deported. “They hit us, they pushed us and on the fifth day they attacked my friend and I tried to protect her,” Rigo told the court, according to the Israeli media. Yedioth Ahronoth. “They grabbed my head and my glasses fell off. They didn’t give us water, the food was rotten,” she explained about her experience in the Israeli prison cells where, according to her, 14 women shared a cell intended, at first, only for 5 people.
In these ten days, the rest of the activists – among whom were others 48 Spaniards– have been deported to their countries of residence after having been detained in the desert prison Neguev.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not want to confirm the imminent release of the Spanish woman or whether there has been an agreement that allows it. “The consul has attended the oral hearing and has conveyed all the information to the family,” the department headed by José Manuel has simply stated. Albares.