Prominent Palestinian Leader Marwan Barghouti Brutally Assaulted in Zionist Entity’s Prison, Rights Groups Say
Palestinian rights organizations have reported that Marwan Barghouti, one of the most well-known Palestinian political prisoners, was subjected to a “brutal assault,” resulting in severe injuries. In a joint statement, the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said the assault occurred on September 9 while Barghouti was held in solitary confinement at the Zionist entity’s Megiddo Prison.
The statement, based on information obtained by a lawyer after months of restricted prisoner access, noted that Barghouti, known as the “Palestinian Nelson Mandela,” suffered multiple injuries, especially to his upper body, including his head, ears, ribs, right arm, and back. The injuries reportedly included bleeding in his right ear, which later became infected due to medical negligence.
The Commission highlighted the increasingly harsh conditions facing Palestinian detainees, which have worsened over the past year, particularly amid escalated arrests in the West Bank since the Zionist entity’s military offensive on Gaza began in October of the previous year. Rights groups report that mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners has intensified alongside this crackdown.
The statement also raised concerns that such attacks against Barghouti and other prominent Palestinian detainees may be attempts to “eliminate” key figures in the Palestinian movement. Barghouti remains highly popular among Palestinians, with polls indicating that he could win a presidential election if he were permitted to run.
Previously assaulted on multiple occasions, Barghouti was a central figure in the first and second Intifadas (uprisings). In 2004, a Zionist court convicted him on five counts of murder, accusing him of founding the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed faction affiliated with Fatah. Barghouti denied the charges but was sentenced to five life terms, in addition to 40 years.
According to Addameer, a Palestinian rights and prisoner support group, over 10,000 Palestinians are currently held in prisons by the Zionist entity, with at least 3,390 of them under administrative detention—a controversial practice that allows for imprisonment without charge or trial.
