Middle East Monitor / September 13, 2023
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Club revealed on Tuesday evening that the Israeli occupation authorities will hold a court session today, Wednesday, for Ahmed Manasra, who is being held in isolation in Ayalon Prison.
Manasra’s lawyer, Khaled Zabarqa, said that the session will be held at 8:30am in Ramla, at the request of the prison administration to consider the matter of extending his solitary confinement. He also pointed out that his current isolation order expires on 18 September.
The young Palestinian has been held for nearly two years in solitary confinement. His psychological and health conditions have worsened during this time.
Despite all of the efforts made by Manasra’s legal team to secure his release, along with international demands, the occupation authorities insist on detaining him in harsh conditions.
Manasra was arrested in 2015 when he was just 13 years old. He and his 15-year-old cousin were accused of stabbing two Israelis in the illegal Pisgat Ze’ev settlement in the occupied West Bank. His cousin was shot dead at the scene, whereas Ahmad was hit by a car and sustained serious head injuries while an Israeli crowd jeered at him.
Following his arrest, video footage circulated widely on social media and showed a young, distressed Ahmad being treated harshly and interrogated severely without the presence of his parents or legal representatives.
He was mistreated during the early years of his detention to the point that he was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. A group of 36 psychologists have appealed to the Israeli president to pardon Manasra due to his mental health.
