Palestinian minor Manasra suffering psychological disorder in Israel jail

Palestinian Ahmed Manasra is suffering from a psychological disorder due to isolation and harsh prison conditions since his detention in 2015, his family said yesterday.

In a statement, Manasra’s family stressed that he needs a proper and professional diagnosis, treatment with appropriate medications and an end to his isolation.

The family said that he was violently beaten when he was detained in 2015 when he was 13, and he had a fracture in his skull.

His family, lawyers and human rights groups have tried to find out details of ailments. After much efforts, a psychiatrist visited him and found that he suffers from a psychological disorder as a result of the violence, isolation and oppression he is subjected to in Israeli prisons.

The psychiatrist reiterated that his isolation in a narrow cell and being prevented from mixing with other prisoners was a major reason for his illness. He also needs access to outside space.

In the statement, the family condemned Israeli claims that Manasra is in isolation to protect him from adult prisoners. Adding that his only source of suffering is the occupation and its actions against him.

READ: Israel forces shoot, kill Palestinian boy in West Bank

On 12 October 2015, Manasra and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan Khalid Manasra stabbed and critically wounded two Israelis near the illegal Israeli settlement of Pisgat Zeev in the Beit Hanina neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem. The boys were aged 13 and 21 at the time of the incident.

During the attack, Hassan was shot dead at the scene by Israeli forces, while Ahmad was knocked over by a car and seriously wounded.

A video of Ahmad lying injured and bloody on the ground after being hit by the car was uploaded to social media. In it, an Israeli onlooker can clearly be heard saying: “Die, son of a wh***! Die!” while another tells the police officer to shoot him.

He was handed a 12-year prison sentence which was reduced in 2017 by two-and-a-half years in part due to evidence that Manasra played a secondary role in the attack.

Leaked video footage shows Manasra being abused by officers during his interrogation.