A SCOTTISH activist who was sailing as part of a major aid flotilla to Gaza has arrived home after being deported from Israel.
Hughie Stirling, 68, was one of two Scots taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a major humanitarian mission aiming to deliver much-needed aid to Gaza, when Israeli forces intercepted the activists on Monday.
More than 400 people were kidnapped by Israel in international waters – where Israel has no jurisdiction – before being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod for processing.
They were subject to horrific treatment by Israeli officers – as seen in widely-condemned footage shared by far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, which has since sparked a number of diplomatic incidents – before being transferred to Ketziot Prison, which is notorious for human rights abuses towards Palestinian detainees.
The activists were subsequently deported from Israel, landing in Istanbul Airport in Turkey on Thursday, where a number gave accounts of alleged abuse, assault and torture while being detained by Israel.
The National previously told how Stirling, from Ullapool, was left to wander the airport in his prison uniform, with no shoes and missing a hearing aid and his glasses, while waiting on UK consulate officials to assist him.
While the Foreign Office has insisted that help was offered, the UK delegation of the flotilla has questioned this and said that it was essentially left to one member of their team to coordinate flights home, secure accommodation, provide a phone to call loved ones, and take the UK activists to hospital.
The UK activists left Istanbul on Saturday, with Stirling landing at Inverness Airport late on Saturday night.
He was met by loved ones and fellow pro-Palestine activists, with images shared with The National showing him embrace his partner Caroline Williams.
Stirling was initially joined on the flotilla by two other members of the Ullapool community, Bryn Higgs and Owen Richardson-Okie.
However, both subsequently left as the mission progressed, with Higgs being one of around 100 activists detained by Israel in an earlier interception.
The second Scot to have been kidnapped on the Global Sumud Flotilla, St Andrews University staff member Dr Antonis Vradis, was sailing as part of the Greek delegation.
He landed in Athens on Friday evening, and he has since made contact with his family.
