Father of captive Abu-Ghosh: ‘We did not recognise her due to atrocity of torture'

The father of captive Mais Abu-Ghosh, a student of Birzeit University and from Qalandiya refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem, divulged that his daughter was subjected to harsh investigation and torture at Al-Maskubiya Investigation Centre, since her arrest on 29 August.

Abu-Ghosh’s father, Abu Hussein told the Prisoners’ Information Office that several weeks after the arrest of Abu-Ghosh, the occupation intelligence summoned him and her mother to the centre where Abu-Ghosh was incarcerated. Her parents did not recognise her initially, but when she smiled, her father distinguished her from her smile, and was astonished by the horror of what happened to her.

“The investigators brought a tired and exhausted girl whose appearance showed the harsh days she went through. I was angry at the time and told the investigators that this is not my daughter, but she smiled at me, so I calmed down. I started thinking of many questions about what she went through,” added Abu Hussein.

He pointed out that when the lawyers were able to visit Abu-Ghosh for the first time, she told them about the torture methods that she was subjected to. The occupation, however, prevented them from publishing any details about this, and threatened the lawyers with withdrawal of their legal licenses if they informed the family or the media about the detainee’s torture.

Addameer: ​​Israel covering up torture in prison

Abu Hussein disclosed that Abu-Ghosh’s mother tried to hug her daughter, but her body was in agony, and she said to her mother: “I cannot hug you, because everything hurts me.”

Abu Hussein further added: “During the visits and whenever Mais comes out of Al-Maskubiya Investigation Centre, we try to understand from her the nature of the torture she was subjected to. She starts to talk a little, bursts into tears, stops talking and then changes the course of the conversation. We know that she is strong, but she does not want to worry us with the details and make us concerned. When she cries silently, I realise that she had undergone abnormal conditions, especially during the first four days of her arrest and after her transferral to a military investigation.”

The father revealed that the family’s reception of the information issued by Addameer, Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, regarding his daughter’s brutal torture methods such as beating, verbal harassment and naked inspection, shocked them.

He pointed out that hearing the news of his son’s martyrdom at the beginning of 2016 was much easier than hearing the news of the arrest of Abu-Ghosh and her torture.