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The Prisoners’ Media Office warned Monday that prominent Palestinian detainee Abdullah Barghouti, 53, is being subjected to severe and prolonged physical and psychological torture inside Israel’s Gilboa Prison, describing his treatment as a form of “slow execution.”
In a press statement, the office — affiliated with Hamas — said Barghouti has endured “systematic and repeated assaults” for more than 25 months. According to the statement, prison guards raid his cell day and night, often accompanied by dogs, announcing they “missed beating him” before restraining him and assaulting him with batons. The office reported that these attacks cause bleeding and deep wounds that prisoners are forced to treat using torn clothing and minimal cleaning supplies.
Barghouti, who is serving 67 life sentences, is reportedly suffering from untreated fractures in his right elbow and hand that have persisted for three months. He also has a broken finger, fractures in two ribs on the right side of his chest, torn tendons, and has lost approximately 35 kilograms due to the “starvation” policy pursued by the prison administration.
The Office added that Barghouti has been subjected to electric shocks and deliberately doused with water during torture sessions. He has also been placed in a room infested with scabies, resulting in widespread boils across his body. The statement says he now has severe difficulty moving his hands, with one nearly paralyzed, while prison authorities continue to deny him medical care or even basic pain relief. Human rights organizations are also being prevented from contacting him.
The office said Barghouti’s case reflects an “open war” against leaders of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement, adding that violations have reached the level of “attempted deliberate killing.” It called on international human rights and humanitarian bodies to intervene urgently to stop the torture, ensure Barghouti receives medical treatment, and hold those responsible accountable.
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