Marwan Barghouti brutally assaulted in IOF prison isolation: Lawyer

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
27 Oct 2024 23:19
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The Commission of Detainees Affairs has confirmed that Marwan Barghouti and several other detainees were subjected to brutal assaults in Israeli prisons last month, involving various forms of repression and beating.

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Israeli separation wall with a portrait of leader Marwan Barghouti, with Israeli occupation soldiers patrolling in front of it in the West Bank city of Ramallah, occupied Palestine, March 8, 2012. (AP)

A lawyer from the Commission of the Detainees Affairs reported that during a recent visit to Megiddo Prison, Palestinian detainee Marwan Barghouti and several others were subjected to brutal assaults by the Israeli occupation forces' prison's special units in September.

The lawyer stated that Barghouti was attacked with various tools of repression alongside severe beating, resulting in numerous injuries to his body, ribs, and limbs, as well as bleeding in his right ear, a wound on his right arm, and back pain.

It was noted that Barghouti has been gradually recovering in the weeks following the incident, during which he experienced difficulty moving, chest and back pain, and infections in his wounds and ear due to the blood clot caused by the bleeding, as he was denied any treatment or medication.

Barghouti had previously suffered two brutal assaults in the past year and has been held in solitary confinement since the beginning of the war on Gaza. The first assault occurred in December in the isolation cells of Ofer Prison followed by a second assault at Megiddo Prison on March 6.

The Popular Campaign for the Release of Barghouti and the prisoners stated that the latest assault in September, like the previous ones, took place in the isolation section of Megiddo Prison and was characterized by increased brutality aimed at inflicting significant and chronic physical harm.

The campaign called on international institutions and organizations to fulfill their duty to protect Barghouti and other prisoners, in accordance with international law.

It added that the paralysis affecting international and human rights organizations when it comes to the rights of the Palestinian people and the crimes of genocide being committed is what encourages the occupation to continue its aggression and crimes.

Israeli abuse of Marwan Barghouti 'amounts to torture': Lawyer

Earlier, in May, former inmates and several rights groups asserted that circumstances inside Israeli jails for Palestinians altered suddenly last October, following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Barghouti is regarded as a uniting figure in Palestinian society throughout his 24 years in prison. This may be why the Israeli occupation is punishing him even further following October 7.

According to The Guardian, Barghouti is isolated with no means to treat his wounds and injuries after being dragged with his wrists shackled behind his back.

He is sleep-deprived on purpose due to the lighting in his cell, and he has been denied access to books, newspapers, or television since last October. His lawyer Igal Dotan visited Barghouti in the Israeli Megiddo prison two months prior and reported that he had lost weight and was unrecognizable.

"Israel" imprisoned Barghouti on five charges of alleged murder and ordering assaults on civilians, according to The Guardian, which he categorically denied.

Dotan reported that Barghouti is very strong mentally, but physically, his health is deteriorating as he struggles to see out of his right eye after a brutal beating.

Since October, the Palestinian jail population has nearly quadrupled, with Israeli troops conducting daily raids across the West Bank.

Abuses have increased as the number of Palestinians in Israeli jails has grown, with many squeezed into overcrowded cells. Former detainees described frequent beatings and physical assaults, as well as a lack of necessities such as food, clean clothes, reading materials, warm blankets, hygiene items, and medical treatment.

Qadura Fares, head of the Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission, stated that Israelis are attempting to take revenge on Palestinians following October 7, citing that Barghouti may be targeted "specifically" due to his potential as a future leader.

The leader relayed to his attorneys that he had been assaulted and beaten until he lost consciousness, with his attorney recalling numerous bruises on his body, a probably dislocated shoulder, and constant pain.