Prisoner Mohammed al-Arida categorically denied that he re-enacted his and his fellow prisoners’ breakout from Gilboa prison, defying the rumors published by media outlets.

Al-Arida’s statement came through the Prisoners' Authority’s lawyer who assured the press that Muhammad only left his cell to go to the interrogation rooms after he was returned to prison last Saturday.

The lawyer transcribed al-Arida’s short-lived freedom journey, saying that the 6 liberated prisoners spontaneously headed to the Na'ura village, where they entered the mosque for 10 minutes in order to wash before leaving right afterward. Their intention was to reach the West Bank, but on the one hand, the search for them had already been announced through the radio, and on the other, they got confused about the directions and were thus unable to reach their destination.

Al-Arida further spoke about his decision to break out from Gilboa, saying, “I decided to attain freedom in my own way, the reason being that there is no prospect of release, especially since ‘life sentence’ is a vague verdict, and we were not treated according to the ‘Prisoners of War’ international law.”

He finally stressed the “unfair treatment we receive, unlike Israeli criminals whose life sentence is specified, which is why I decided to attain my freedom in my own way.” 

In the meantime, the reports of al-Arida and his three companions being tortured and severely beaten have been confirmed.

Four prisoners out of the 6 have been recaptured by the IOF after they had broken out from Gilboa Prison near the occupied city of Bisan. The prison is considered one of the most fortified of the Israeli occupation. The two remaining prisoners are still free.