Palestinian leader Barghouti faces violent attacks while imprisoned in Israel

Reports of violence against Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti have emerged from Israeli jails, prompting concerns for his safety. According to his lawyer, Ben Marmarelli, Barghouti has been subjected to three incidents of physical assault over the past two months, indicating a pattern of escalating violations.

Barghouti, a senior leader of President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement and serving a life sentence imposed by Israel since 2002, was left bleeding after being severely beaten in Ganot Prison on April 8. Requests for medical attention were denied during his visit to the prison on Sunday. Prior to this incident, Barghouti was assaulted while being transferred from Megiddo Prison on March 25.

Marmarelli described the conditions of his five-hour visit as “harsh and inhumane”, stating that he and Barghouti had to shout through a glass partition to communicate. The lawyer also reported that guards had previously stormed Barghouti’s cell with a dog, forcing him to lie on the floor before the animal attacked him.

Barghouti is serving five life sentences in Israeli prisons on charges related to alleged attacks during the second Intifada, which lasted from 2000 to 2005. His son reported that Barghouti had been severely beaten by Israeli guards during a prison transfer in September, resulting in four broken ribs and head injuries.

The “Free Marwan” international campaign has stated that Barghouti was subjected to new brutal assaults while held in solitary confinement in Megiddo and Ramon Prisons. The conditions of his captivity have raised concerns about the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

Source: Al Jazeera