From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 28, 2024
Campaign to release Palestinian prisoner Barghouti says he was assaulted in jail
Marwan Barghouti was assaulted by prison guards last month, according to the campaign lobbying for the release of the senior Fatah member jailed by Israel for terror offensives.
A lawyer for Barghouti discovered the attack during a recent visit to the prison, after such visits were barred for three months, the campaign says in a statement.
The assault was carried out in Barghouti’s solitary confinement cell on September 9, and guards used a variety of assault weapons that resulted in “multiple injuries to his body, ribs, and limbs, along with bleeding in his right ear, a wound on his right arm and severe back pain,” the statement says, adding that he has been gradually recovering, even though he hasn’t received any medical treatment.
The campaign says Barghouti was assaulted two other times since being placed in solitary confinement two months after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught.
Barghouti’s name has come up several times in reports on potential hostage deals. He enjoys support across the Palestinian public and is seen by many as a potential successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Barghouti, 64, is serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison for his part in planning three attacks that killed five Israelis during the Second Intifada. He refused to participate in the legal proceeding against him, rejecting the legitimacy of the Israeli court.
The campaign “calls on international organizations and institutions to fulfill their duty in protecting Barghouti and other detainees as mandated by international law,” the statement adds.
Responding to a request for comment on the allegations, the Israel Prisons Service says, “Since October 7, Barghouti has petitioned twice, regarding claims of mistreatment in prison. The court has examined every one of his claims and concluded that there has been no violation of the law by IPS.”
“Nonetheless, prisoners and detainees have the right to file a complaint that will be fully examined and addressed by official authorities,” IPS adds.
