DailySun
Former Hibernian midfielder Stephane Omeonga has alleged that he was arrested and assaulted by law enforcement on Christmas Day.
The Belgian player enjoyed two loan periods at Easter Road, making a total of 27 appearances.
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Following this incident, Omeonga made 57 Premiership appearances for Livingston over the next two seasons before transferring to Israeli club Bnei Sakhnin two years ago.
Recently, he accused Italian police of mistreatment during his attempt to travel to Tel Aviv last week, describing the experience as one of “total humiliation.”
The 28-year-old shared footage on social media that appeared to show him being forcibly removed from a plane following an altercation with the authorities.
Born in Liege, Omeonga expressed on Instagram: “On December 25th, I became a victim of police brutality.
“While boarding a flight from Rome to Tel Aviv, a flight attendant asked me about an alleged issue with my documents and instructed me to exit the aircraft.
“Thinking my documents were all in order, I calmly sought clarification on the issue.
“The police were summoned, and I was handcuffed and forcibly taken off the plane. Once outside, away from witnesses, the police brutally slammed me to the ground and assaulted me, with one officer pressing his knee against my head.
“I was then taken away in a police vehicle, handcuffed as though I were a criminal, to the airport. An ambulance arrived, but I was in shock and unable to respond to the paramedics’ questions. Shortly after, I heard one officer mention over the radio that I had rejected medical assistance, saying that ‘everything is fine.’
“This was completely false; I wanted to go with the ambulance because I was scared of what the police might do to me.
“Afterward, I was placed in a grey room without food or water and left in a state of total humiliation for several hours. Upon my release, I found out that a police officer had filed a complaint against me for alleged injuries that supposedly occurred during my arrest, even though I was restrained.
Hibs players celebrate 2-1 over Edinburgh rivals Hearts in Boxing Day derby
To this day, I have not received any explanation for my arrest.
“As a human being and a father, I cannot accept any form of discrimination. This arrest is merely the visible tip of the iceberg.
“Many people who look like me face challenges in finding employment, adequate housing, or are excluded from participating in the sports they love simply because they are Black.
“We must unite and raise our voices to educate those around us—our colleagues, neighbors, and friends—about this pervasive issue that afflicts our society and hinders its progress. Peace.”
Omeonga has represented Belgium’s Under-21 team eight times.
Of Congolese heritage, he has also played for clubs in Italy like Genoa, Avellino, and Pescara, alongside Cercle Brugge in Belgium, in addition to his spells at Hibs and Livingston.
SunSport has reached out to the Italian National Police for a comment.
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