Mary Ann (Ann) Wright
WHAT HAPPENED
Mary Ann (Ann) Wright, a retired U.S. Army colonel and former U.S. State Department diplomat, was detained by Israeli naval forces on May 31, 2010, when Shayetet 13 commandos intercepted the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters roughly 70 nautical miles off Gaza. Wright, a U.S. citizen who lives in Honolulu, was aboard the U.S.-flagged Challenger 1. On the flotilla's lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, commandos killed nine passengers, including American citizen Furkan Doğan. Aboard the Challenger 1, Wright said passengers were thrown to the deck, windows were blown out, flash-bang grenades were used, a journalist was hit with an electric shock, and a woman was struck in the face with a projectile. Wright herself was restrained, taken to Israel, held about three days at a prison in Be'er Sheva, and deported. In 2016 she was among four plaintiffs who sued Israel in U.S. federal court over the raid. In the immediate aftermath, the White House said the United States 'deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained,' while the State Department urged Israel to conduct a prompt, credible investigation.
TESTIMONY
“People were thrown on the deck. Windows were blown out. Flash bangs were used.” — Ann Wright, retired U.S. Army colonel and former State Department diplomat aboard the Challenger 1
SOURCES
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR
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