A/HRC/15/21 items left in others parts of the vessels that they were not permitted to retrieve) or during processing at the Ashdod detention facility. The Mission estimates that many hundreds of expensive electronic items remain in the possession of the Israeli authorities. Many passengers were carrying considerable amounts of cash donations to be distributed in Gaza, in some cases amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. There was inconsistent practice by the Israelis with regard to cash: some passengers were allowed to hold on to cash throughout their detention, some had cash confiscated and then returned and others had the cash taken and it was not returned. 236. Furthermore, while most passports were returned to passengers prior to their departure from Israel and others have since been returned, some passengers have still not received their passports nearly four months after the incident. 237. It is clear in the view of the Mission that the Israeli authorities did not put a system in place to properly record items that were confiscated and identify personal effects with the aim of returning them to the rightful owners. On board the various vessels, the Israeli forces conducted extensive searches of the passengers’ luggage that left personal possessions strewn across the cabins in a highly disordered state. One witness, who had been isolated and beaten, described the surreal experience of sitting handcuffed on a large heap of laptops and electronic devices and being “serenaded” by mobile telephones reconnecting to a network as the ship approached Ashdod. 238. Some items were returned to the Turkish authorities and passengers were able to retrieve some items of luggage from the forensic office in Istanbul. When the vessels were later returned from Israeli custody, some luggage and other items still on board were stored at an IHH warehouse in Istanbul. However, passengers who went to the warehouse were only able to reclaim a few clothing items or empty suitcases. The mission was informed that items belonging to some of the British passengers were also returned to them by post via the British Consulate in Israel but that these items were damaged or not actually theirs. 239. The mission’s attention has been drawn to several allegations regarding misuse of items confiscated by the Israeli authorities, including laptop computers, credit cards and mobile telephones. On 20 August 2010 it was reported in the Israeli media that “at least four” Israeli soldiers had been detained on suspicion of stealing and selling laptops belonging to passengers that were on board the flotilla.84 Furthermore, at least four passengers have stated that their personal items, including credit cards and mobile telephones, have been subsequently used in Israel. There is an account of a particular witness, a journalist, who was on board the Sfendoni and alleged that his credit card was used to purchase items in Israel, both while he was detained at the Beersheva prison and after he had been released.85 There is another specific account where more than $1,000 was spent on a confiscated credit card in Israel.86 240. Amongst the items confiscated and not returned by the Israeli authorities is a large amount of video and photographic footage that was recorded on electronic and other media by passengers, including many professional journalists, on board the vessels of the flotilla. This includes a large number of photographic and video material of the Israeli assault and interception on the Mavi Marmara and other vessels. The Israeli authorities have 84 85 86 See www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-soldiers-suspected-of-theft-from-gaza-flotillaship-1.308862 See www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/italian-flotilla-journalist-my-credit-card-was-used-after-idfconfiscated-it-1.295493 See www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/18/gaza-convoy-activists-debit-card-fraud 49