The family of the most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, says that he has again been subjected to physical violence behind bars in Israel. Arab Barghouti told the BBC he was shocked and appalled to hear from his father's Israeli lawyer that he had been assaulted three times by Israeli prison guards in the past month. The Israeli Prison Service (IPS) stated that the allegations made are false and baseless. Marwan Barghouti was convicted by an Israeli court of planning deadly attacks against Israeli civilians and is currently serving five life sentences plus 40 years. He was arrested exactly 24 years ago, at the height of the Palestinians' second intifada, or uprising. He had set up the Tanzim, an armed wing of the Fatah political faction.
Opinion polls indicate that despite his imprisonment, Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian leader. He remains a member of the Fatah Central Committee, and many Palestinians view him as their equivalent of South Africa's Nelson Mandela. His son argued that his father's prominence had led to him being singled out for attacks and abuse, stating, He's someone who represents hope for unity, for democratic renewal, for a better future for the Palestinian people. He's a target because he gives hope to the Palestinian people.
The Israeli lawyer, Ben Marmarelli, visited Marwan Barghouti in prison on Sunday. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that, three weeks earlier, guards entered his client’s cell in Megiddo Prison and repeatedly attacked him with a guard dog. He said that he was then beaten during his transfer to another Israeli jail. One week ago, in Ganot Prison, Marmarelli said that Barghouti was severely beaten and left bleeding for more than two hours. He requested medical care and was denied treatment.
The IPS denied awareness of any incidents as described, asserting that no such acts have occurred in its facilities. Since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, there have been increased reports of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Human rights groups attribute this trend to an established Israeli policy, emphasizing calls for harsher conditions from certain Israeli officials, including the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The IPS refutes claims of systematic abuse, stating that all inmates receive medical treatment based on professional judgment and health guidelines. September saw Israel's Supreme Court ruling that prisons were failing to provide sufficient food for Palestinian inmates, necessitating improvements. Currently, over 9,500 Palestinians are classified as security prisoners in Israeli jails, with many in administrative detention without trial or charge.
Last year, Ben-Gvir shared a clip of him confronting Marwan Barghouti in his cell, which was the first public appearance of the infamous prisoner in years, showing him to be aged and gaunt. Arab Barghouti expressed outrage that Western leaders do not condemn the "disgusting" treatment of prisoners, arguing it fuels the dehumanization of Palestinians.
Opinion polls indicate that despite his imprisonment, Barghouti is the most popular Palestinian leader. He remains a member of the Fatah Central Committee, and many Palestinians view him as their equivalent of South Africa's Nelson Mandela. His son argued that his father's prominence had led to him being singled out for attacks and abuse, stating, He's someone who represents hope for unity, for democratic renewal, for a better future for the Palestinian people. He's a target because he gives hope to the Palestinian people.
The Israeli lawyer, Ben Marmarelli, visited Marwan Barghouti in prison on Sunday. He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that, three weeks earlier, guards entered his client’s cell in Megiddo Prison and repeatedly attacked him with a guard dog. He said that he was then beaten during his transfer to another Israeli jail. One week ago, in Ganot Prison, Marmarelli said that Barghouti was severely beaten and left bleeding for more than two hours. He requested medical care and was denied treatment.
The IPS denied awareness of any incidents as described, asserting that no such acts have occurred in its facilities. Since the deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, there have been increased reports of abuse of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Human rights groups attribute this trend to an established Israeli policy, emphasizing calls for harsher conditions from certain Israeli officials, including the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The IPS refutes claims of systematic abuse, stating that all inmates receive medical treatment based on professional judgment and health guidelines. September saw Israel's Supreme Court ruling that prisons were failing to provide sufficient food for Palestinian inmates, necessitating improvements. Currently, over 9,500 Palestinians are classified as security prisoners in Israeli jails, with many in administrative detention without trial or charge.
Last year, Ben-Gvir shared a clip of him confronting Marwan Barghouti in his cell, which was the first public appearance of the infamous prisoner in years, showing him to be aged and gaunt. Arab Barghouti expressed outrage that Western leaders do not condemn the "disgusting" treatment of prisoners, arguing it fuels the dehumanization of Palestinians.
