SAFA- The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office has opened a preliminary investigation into reports of torture involving two French activists detained by Israeli occupation forces during the Global Freedom Flotilla in October 2015. One of the detainees was Marie Mesmour, a member of parliament from La France Insoumise.

According to the prosecutor's office, the investigation was launched earlier this month following two complaints concerning incidents that allegedly occurred between October 1 and 7, 2015. The inquiry is being conducted by the Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity.

The investigation is examining allegations of torture as defined under the United Nations Convention against Torture.

The inquiry was initiated after Mesmour filed a complaint upon returning to France following her five-day detention by Israeli authorities before being deported.

Mesmour said Israeli occupation forces intercepted her in international waters and unlawfully transferred her to Israel. She told Agence France-Presse that she spent about 24 hours aboard an Israeli prison vessel before being held for four days in prison without food, water, or medical care. She said she was beaten while trying to protect another detainee.

Following her return to France, doctors documented multiple injuries, including a fractured rib and extensive bruising, and determined that she was temporarily unable to work for 10 days.

Mesmour's lawyer, Raphaël Kempf, said the alleged abuses could constitute torture under the UN Convention against Torture. He argued that this assessment was based not only on the physical assaults but also on the treatment participants endured from the moment their vessels were intercepted until their deportation.

Kempf said the convention defines torture as the intentional infliction of severe physical or psychological suffering by a public official or someone acting on behalf of the state for purposes such as punishment, intimidation, or obtaining information, making the definition broader than physical assault alone.

He said French prosecutors relied on that definition because most participants reported being beaten by Israeli soldiers during their detention and later assaulted by prison guards. According to Kempf, detainees were also forced to kneel or lie face down in painful positions for prolonged periods while being insulted and threatened, with some beaten when they attempted to move. He said the treatment was intended to humiliate them and inflict both physical and psychological suffering.

Kempf said Mesmour appeared to have suffered fewer assaults than other participants, possibly because of her status as a member of parliament. He added that the case file includes a forensic medical report documenting her injuries and certifying 10 days of temporary incapacity.

He also said other participants, particularly those involved in the May flotilla, submitted testimonies and medical reports documenting bruises and other injuries that support their accounts.

Kempf added that visual evidence remains limited, apart from videos published by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. While the footage does not show the alleged assaults, he said it depicts detainees being held in humiliating positions under guard and in front of cameras for extended periods.