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Israel still keeps mentally-ill young Palestinian in solitary confinement

October 13, 2022 at 11:19 am

A solitary confinement cell, on October 3, 2022 [Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP]

The Israeli occupation authorities continue to keep a mentally-ill young Palestinian in solitary confinement in Eshel Prison, the Palestine Prisoners’ Club (PPC) said on Wednesday. Ahmed Manasra, 20, was shot, wounded and imprisoned when he was just 13 years old.

On 16 August, an Israeli court in Beer Sheba extended his isolation, his lawyer Khaled Zabarqa said, despite his critical psychological condition. At the request of the Israel Prison Services, the court decided to keep Manasra in solitary until 21 November. He was first moved to an isolation cell on 21 May.

“Thirty-six psychologists and other experts have approached the president of the occupation state with a request to release Manasra immediately due to his deteriorating health condition,” the PPC pointed out, to no apparent avail.

Ahmad Manasra is a Palestinian youth who was imprisoned 7 years ago, at the age of 13, by the occupation forces and has since been suffering from intense psychological torture including solitary confinement - Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Ahmad Manasra is a Palestinian youth who was imprisoned 7 years ago, at the age of 13, by the occupation forces and has since been suffering from intense psychological torture including solitary confinement – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]

Ahmed’s mother Maysoun told Al Jazeera Mubasher that he has been suffering from a psychological disorder for two years. She explained that her child was 13 when he was accused of stabbing Israeli settlers but, she insisted, he did not have the ability to stab anyone and that he was playing in the street and did not realise that an incident was unfolding near him.

Maysoun Manasra noted that Israelis killed his cousin in front of his eyes as a child, which prompted him to flee in fear until he received a blow to his head from the occupation forces. She called on the Israeli authorities to release him in a video clip that has circulated widely on social media. “My son wants me, he clings to the glass [during her visits], and I tell him I wish I could take him out. I gave him an air hug as he cried, and the soldiers provoked us to the maximum, yelling at his father and I to leave.”

READ: Israel transfers Ahmad Manasra to hospital after mental health deterioration