Mariana Mortágua began by saying that when they leave the Israeli prison, “I didn’t know what was going on in the world,” because they were “incontabinently.” At the same time, he said that it was a “emotion” the mobilization around the humble flotilla that feels “pride of the Portuguese people who mobilized”.
The deputy denounced situations of “See comrades to be beaten and taken,” from “several handcuffed hours, to be provoked by the Israelite minister” and stay in “jaulas”. Mariana also said that “it was worth” what they went through. “As much as it was difficult for us and it was, and however much abuse and there were many, it gave us an idea of the degree of impunity of the Israeli forces against Palestinians, of course it was worth it,” he told reporters.
Miguel Duarte, another of the detainees, said they passed “hunger and thirst”, as well as “handcuffed, blindfolded and puts within prison buses.” About the cells, he said they were “absolutely overcrowded.” He also reported that “some comrades with diabetes spent three days without insulin.”
At the same time, Mariana Mortágua rejected the title of heroes. “We are not heroes. We are people who are doing what others are not doing, this is not about us,” he said. Regarding how they were assisted by the Portuguese Government, he stressed that “there is no criticism” to consular support, but “to the Portuguese government that does not apply sanctions to Israel and that allows military aircraft that passed in the Portuguese territory”, In reference to the Americans F-23 who passed the base of the slabs last week.