“I’m Belgian citizen” repeats Stéphane Omeonga several times on the plane which must connect Rome to Tel Aviv, this December 25, when two Italian police officers approach his seat shortly before takeoff .
In the video he posted on Instagram, we see him arguing, specifying that he is a football player, but nothing convinces the two members of the police. One of the two takes the 28-year-old man by the neck so that he gets up. “What are you doing?” », continues the passenger who has no choice but to follow them by force to get out of the plane.
Stéphane Omeonga is a Belgian professional footballer who notably played for Standard de Liège and Anderlecht and who has played since 2023 for Bnei Sakhnin, in the Israeli championship, which he joined after the holidays. He denounces a violent arrest and, according to him, of a racist nature by the transalpine police officers.
“After boarding the plane and taking my seat, a flight attendant approached me about an alleged problem with my papers and asked me to leave the plane,” he explains on his Instagram account under which many former teammates show their support for him. The police were called, I was handcuffed and forced out of the plane. Once outside, out of sight of witnesses, the police officers violently threw me to the ground, hit me and one of them pressed his knee on my head. »
The Youth League finalist in 2015 with Anderlecht and international Espoirs with Belgium says he was “handcuffed like a criminal”. He continues. “In a state of shock, I was unable to answer the paramedics’ questions. Shortly after, I heard on the police car radio: “He refused medical treatment, everything is fine”. It was completely false. »
The footballer then spent several hours in detention. “I was placed in a gray room, without food or water, and left in a state of total humiliation for several hours. When I was released, I learned that a police officer had filed a complaint against me for injuries allegedly caused during the arrest, while I was handcuffed. »
Since his release, the player still does not understand why he was arrested. “After my release, I learned that a police officer had filed a complaint against me for injuries I allegedly caused during the arrest, even though I was handcuffed. To date, I have not received any justification for my arrest. »
In his eyes, racism is the most likely hypothesis. “As a human being and a father, I cannot tolerate any form of discrimination. This arrest is only the visible tip of the iceberg. Many people who look like me can’t find work, don’t have access to housing, or can’t participate in the sports they love simply because they are black. We must stand united and raise our voices to educate the people around us — our colleagues, neighbors and friends — about this issue that plagues our society and hinders its progress. »
