Held for over two decades, Abdullah Barghouti is now reportedly being tortured to the brink of death. In January, he appeared on track for release in a potential prisoner exchange.
The Palestinian Prisoners Information Office issued a statement Tuesday evening expressing grave concern over the brutal treatment of imprisoned Palestinian leader Abdullah al-Barghouti inside Israel’s Gilboa Prison.
According to the statement, Barghouti is the target of what it described as a “systematic assassination attempt,” as his health continues to deteriorate to life-threatening levels.
Verified accounts from within Israeli prisons indicate that al-Barghouti has endured repeated physical assaults.
🚨🇵🇸Prisoners' Information:
We confirm prisoner leader, Abdullah Barghouti, is being subjected to systematic assassination attempts in Israeli Gilboa Torture Prison, while his health is at an extremely critical stage, directly threatening his life‼️ pic.twitter.com/yx3r7gDPOv
— Ellen Jean Abare (@EllenJeanAbare) April 30, 2025
His body is reportedly covered in bruises, his head swollen with blood clots, his eyes severely inflamed, and his ribs fractured—leaving him unable to sleep due to extreme pain.
The statement notes that repression units, led by an officer identified as ‘Amir’, have been conducting coordinated raids on Barghouti’s cell. During these raids, he is subjected to brutal beatings that cause extensive bleeding—reportedly up to half a liter each time.
Torture by Dogs and Chemical Burns
In what the office described as a “deeply inhumane practice”, trained dogs are unleashed on Barghouti following torture sessions, on the explicit orders of the Israeli officer. The officer is quoted as saying, “Let the dogs have fun with him.”
Additional testimonies reveal that hot dishwashing liquid is poured over his body after each round of torture. These acts are accompanied by degrading verbal abuse, such as: “You were once a leader, but today you’re nothing and must die.”
The cumulative effects of these acts have led Barghouti to fall into repeated comas. Due to the complete denial of medical care, his hand is currently wrapped in toilet paper and a trash bag. He is in constant pain, unable to stand, and is often seen sitting on the floor with his head bowed.
According to the statement, Barghouti has not been allowed to bathe for over 12 days and can no longer chew solid food, forcing him to soak bread in water just to eat.
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Deliberate Slow Assassination
The Prisoners Information Office described Barghouti’s treatment as a “deliberate slow assassination” and a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions. It warned that such tactics to eliminate key figures in the Palestinian prisoners’ movement are bound to ignite public outrage and mass mobilization.
The office condemned the continued silence of the international community, saying it has emboldened Israeli authorities to escalate these abuses. “This is a stain on the conscience of those who claim to uphold human rights,” the statement read.
It called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently visit Barghouti and assess his condition, and demanded an international investigation. The office insisted that Israel must be held accountable for these crimes before the International Criminal Court.
The statement concluded by urging Palestinians and international allies to mobilize in support of Palestinian prisoners, warning that any harm to them constitutes a red line.
Who Is Abdullah Barghouti?
Known as the ‘Prince of the Shadow,’ Abdullah Barghouti holds the world’s longest cumulative prison sentence. He was arrested on March 5, 2003, when Israeli special forces abducted him outside a hospital in Ramallah while he was seeking treatment for his young daughter.
The ‘Prince of Shadows’: Who Is Abdullah Barghouti? – PROFILE
He was sentenced to 67 life terms and spent nearly nine years in solitary confinement under some of the harshest conditions.
Barghouti was instrumental in rebuilding the Al-Qassam Brigades—Hamas’ military wing—in the West Bank after the 1996 assassination of engineer Yahya Ayyash.
At his trial in Beit Lahm, the Israeli officer overseeing his case allegedly stated, “If Israel is ever forced to withdraw from the Palestinian territories, it will take him with it—he is considered one of the most dangerous figures in the Palestinian resistance.”
Last January, Barghouti appeared to be on the verge of release in a prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel.
(PC, Al Mayadeen)
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