The European Union on Thursday urged the Israeli authorities to immediately end the solitary confinement of Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Manasra, and to allow him access to badly needed psychological counseling and support, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

“Today, the EU and some Member States attended Ahmad Manasra’s hearing. The Court extended his one-year-long solitary confinement for another 4 months. The UN stipulates solitary confinement beyond 15 days constitutes torture,” the EU office in Palestine said in a tweet.

The EU added,

“Appeal to Israeli authorities to end his solitary confinement immediately & ensure he receives the necessary psychological counselling & support. Given serious international concerns about fair trial standards & due process in this case, we call on Israeli authorities to urgently release him”.

Manasra was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces in 2015 when he was only 13 years after shooting him and his cousin Hassan, who was killed instantly.

2/2Appeal to Israeli authorities to end his solitary confinement immediately & ensure he receives the necessary psychological counselling & support.Given serious Int’l. concerns about fair trial standards &due process in this case,we call on IL authorities to urgently release him

— EU and Palestinians (@EUpalestinians) November 24, 2022

Ahmad Manasra’s mental health worsened during his incarceration. In October 2021, an independent Israeli clinical psychologist working with Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) diagnosed him with severe psychiatric conditions and stated these had developed since his incarceration.

Ahmad Manasra’s parents said in February 2022 that their son had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that he is suffering from psychotic delusions, and is severely depressed with suicidal thoughts.

(WAFA, PC, SOCIAL)