ALBAWABA - There have been reports that Israeli jail officials reportedly treated Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti to a “severe and violent assault” in September.
According to two Palestinian groups that keep an eye on prisoner matters, Barghouti was assaulted by prison repression units when he was in solitary confinement in the northern Israeli prison of Megiddo.
In a joint statement, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission described the attack as taking place on September 9. They said Barghouti, who has been in solitary confinement since October 7, when fighting in Gaza intensified, suffered injuries to his limbs, ribs, and torso, as well as back discomfort and ear hemorrhage.
A lawyer for the Prisoners' Affairs Commission, who recently traveled to Barghouti after a three-month visiting ban, is said to have provided this information.
An important Palestinian leader and member of Fatah's Central Committee, Barghouti has been imprisoned since 2002 for his involvement during the Second Intifada. He is now serving five life sentences, but if an agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is reached, he may be eligible for release.
The Prisoners' Affairs Commission said in its statement that the targeting of Barghouti and other high-ranking inmates may be a sign that Israeli officials are trying to "eliminate" Palestinian leaders from their jails on a systematic basis.
Having described the abuse of Palestinian inmates as part of a continuous violation of rights inside Israeli jails, the groups have called on international institutions to take preventive measures.
