Palestinian Prisoner Enters 28 Years in Israeli Detention

Palestinian prisoner Mahmoud Abdullah Ali Arada, a 48-year-old resident of the town of Arraba in southern Jenin, entered on Thursday, September 21, 2023, his 28th year in Israeli prisons.

The director of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club in Jenin, Montaser Samour, stated that Arada was among six prisoners who regained their freedom from Gilboa Prison in September 2021, only to be re-arrested by Israeli forces days later.

Samour noted that Arada was initially arrested on September 21, 1996.

The Israeli court handed down a life sentence in addition to 15 years in prison. This was not his first arrest, as he was previously detained in 1992 and spent 41 months in Israeli prisons.

In his latest trial, he was sentenced to an additional five years in prison and fined 5,000 shekels along with other prisoners who were released.

Arada, who holds a high school diploma earned while in prison and a bachelor’s degree in Islamic education, is considered a cultural reference point among Palestinian prisoners. He has authored numerous books and novels while incarcerated.

Arada’s case is emblematic of the plight of many Palestinian prisoners who have spent decades behind bars in Israeli detention facilities, often facing harsh conditions and multiple arrests over the years.

His story reflects the resilience and determination of Palestinian prisoners to pursue education and maintain their intellectual pursuits even in the face of adversity.

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