The most prominent Palestinian prisoner, Marwan Barghouti, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards on 14 September, his family has said. The 66-year-old - serving life for planning deadly attacks against Israelis - was allegedly assaulted by eight guards during a transfer between Ganot and Megiddo prisons. The Israel Prison Service told the BBC: These are false claims (fake). The Israel Prison Service operates in accordance with the law, while ensuring the safety and health of all inmates.
Barghouti's son, Arab, told the BBC the family had received testimony from five separate detainees released this week who heard Barghouti's account of the attack. He stated the family was horrified.
Barghouti was allegedly handcuffed by the guards, put on the floor, kicked and beaten, focusing on the head, chest, and legs. He remained unconscious for hours, bleeding and hardly able to walk. Arab suggested the attack occurred during the transfer, as there were no surveillance cameras to capture it.
Barghouti is serving five life sentences plus 40 years after being convicted by an Israeli court in 2004 of planning attacks in which five civilians were killed.
Detainees who informed the family were released as part of a recent hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, in which Barghouti's name was sought for release by Hamas but denied by Israel. Barghouti is seen by many as a unifying figure among Palestinians, often emerging in opinion polls as the most popular leader.
He remains a significant player in the Fatah faction governing parts of the occupied West Bank and has been in solitary confinement since October 2023. Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, responsible for prison services, denied the alleged assault but expressed satisfaction over harsher prison conditions for Barghouti.
A recent video showing Ben Gvir taunting Barghouti in his cell further highlighted the political tensions surrounding this case. The Palestinian Authority condemned the minister's actions, calling it a form of psychological terror.
Barghouti's son, Arab, told the BBC the family had received testimony from five separate detainees released this week who heard Barghouti's account of the attack. He stated the family was horrified.
Barghouti was allegedly handcuffed by the guards, put on the floor, kicked and beaten, focusing on the head, chest, and legs. He remained unconscious for hours, bleeding and hardly able to walk. Arab suggested the attack occurred during the transfer, as there were no surveillance cameras to capture it.
Barghouti is serving five life sentences plus 40 years after being convicted by an Israeli court in 2004 of planning attacks in which five civilians were killed.
Detainees who informed the family were released as part of a recent hostage and prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, in which Barghouti's name was sought for release by Hamas but denied by Israel. Barghouti is seen by many as a unifying figure among Palestinians, often emerging in opinion polls as the most popular leader.
He remains a significant player in the Fatah faction governing parts of the occupied West Bank and has been in solitary confinement since October 2023. Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, responsible for prison services, denied the alleged assault but expressed satisfaction over harsher prison conditions for Barghouti.
A recent video showing Ben Gvir taunting Barghouti in his cell further highlighted the political tensions surrounding this case. The Palestinian Authority condemned the minister's actions, calling it a form of psychological terror.
