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Israeli army frees prisoner Ahmad Manasra after 10 years
After 10 years of incarceration, the Israeli army has released prisoner Ahmad Manasra from Nafha Prison in the southern Israeli desert.
According to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, Manasra was subjected to various forms of physical and psychological torture since his arrest at the age of 13.
The Jerusalem prisoner committees said the Israeli army released Manasra far from the prison while his family awaited his release at the prison gate. A Bedouin resident in the Beersheba area recognised the 23-year-old, contacted his family and informed them of Manasra’s release, a source told Al Jazeera.
Manasra was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, later reduced to nine years, for being with his cousin Hassan Manasra, who allegedly stabbed two Israeli settlers near the illegal settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev in occupied East Jerusalem in 2015.
Hassan, who was 15 at the time, was shot dead by an Israeli civilian while Ahmad was severely beaten by an Israeli mob and run over by an Israeli driver, suffering fractures to his skull and internal bleeding.
A video showing Ahmad Manasra bleeding on the ground and gasping for help while Israeli bystanders shouted and swore at the boy, telling him to “die”, garnered widespread attention and outrage. Another video of Manasra undergoing harsh Israeli interrogation after the incident caused further anger.
Despite not having participated in the attack – which the courts acknowledged – Manasra was charged with attempted murder.
UN envoy says Manasra’s release ‘end of most painful chapter’
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, says the release of Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Manasra provides “immense relief” but is not a success.
“Ahmed [sic] has endured years of torture, and his family has suffered with him,” Albanese wrote on X. As we reported earlier, Manasra was subjected to various forms of physical and psychological torture since his arrest at the age of 13.
“I truly hope Ahmed and his family will be able to find the time and space to heal the deep wounds of the tragic past decade,” Albanese said.
