Rights group warns of Israeli plot to kill abducted Palestinian leader Barghouti

A Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group has warned against a “dangerous plot” to kill abducted popular Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti inside Israeli detention centers, amid reports of harsh treatment and growing international demands for his release.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) announced in a statement on Friday that the intensification of attacks on Barghouti reveals alarming motives within the occupying Tel Aviv regime to eliminate him.

The PPS underscored that such an approach constitutes a compounded crime and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.

Amjad al-Najjar, the group’s director general, called on the UN and international organizations to intervene without delay.

He appealed for a UN committee to visit the Palestinian leader, assess his conditions in solitary confinement, and apply meaningful pressure to ensure his release and safeguard his life before it is too late.

Barghouti is reported to be in critical condition, following assertions from his family that they were informed of an incident of abuse.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs stated on Friday that the Barghouti family received an anonymous call originating from an Israeli phone number.

The caller, introducing themselves as a recently released prisoner, disclosed that Barghouti had endured a severe assault at the hands of prison guards. They claimed that part of his ear had been severed and that he had sustained multiple injuries, including broken ribs, fingers, and teeth, as a result of ongoing torture and mistreatment.

The commission reported that the call has brought significant distress to his family and the wider Palestinian community, with all attempts to reach the number proving unsuccessful.

Over 200 cultural figures urge release of abducted Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti

More than 200 leading cultural figures sing an open letter calling for the release of abducted Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti.

The commission stated that it will collaborate with the Palestinian leadership to investigate the specifics of the reported assault on Barghouti and evaluate his condition.

The Asra Media Office (AMO) also said a recent intimidation tactic targeted Barghouti’s family, stressing that the method reflects the broader Israeli strategy to pressure and terrorize prisoners’ families.

This recent violation, the advocacy group said, coincides with continuous isolation, torture, denial of visits, and explicit threats from far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir, all suggesting a calculated effort to jeopardize Barghouti’s life.

The AMO placed full responsibility on Israel for Barghouti’s life and the well-being of all prisoners, calling on the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and human rights organizations to take immediate action, initiate an independent investigation, and put an end to the growing violations occurring inside Israeli prisons.

It warned that the international community’s silence effectively grants the occupying Israeli regime a green light to persist in its offenses against detainees, reflecting a significant failure in safeguarding their lives.

Barghouti, a senior leader of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement, is one of the most distinguished and popular figures in Palestinian politics.

The 66-year-old, seen by many Palestinians as a potential successor to Abbas, has been incarcerated since 2002. He has been serving five life sentences in Israeli prisons on charges related to the Second Intifada (Uprising), which began in 2000.

Barghouti has contested the charges leveled against him and has also dismissed the authority of the Israeli court to prosecute him as a member of the Palestinian Authority’s parliament.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir