After a Decade in Prison, Israel Releases Ahmad Manasra, Arrested at Age 13
Occupied Jerusalem (Quds News Network)- The Israeli occupation has released Palestinian detainee Ahmad Manasra after a decade in prison; he was arrested at the age of 13.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) reported that Manasra had endured physical and psychological torture at the hands of the prison authorities since his arrest at the age of 13, spending prolonged periods in solitary confinement.
Manasra was expected to be released at Nafha prison, where his family were waiting to greet him, but Israel released him in the city of Bir as-Sabi, far from the prison.
Circulating footage reveals the moment 23-year-old Palestinian detainee Ahmad Manasra was released from Israeli prisons earlier today.
Manasra was arrested at 13 and sentenced to nearly 10 years in Israeli prisons. pic.twitter.com/kLZsByir4A
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 10, 2025
Manasra was handed a 12 year sentence, subsequently reduced to nine years, for accompanying his cousin Hassan Manasra who allegedly stabbed Israeli settlers near the illegal settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev in occupied East Jerusalem in 2015.
Manasra was charged with murder despite not having participated in the attack- a fact which the court acknowledged.
Hassan, who was 15 at the time was shot dead by an Israeli settler, while Manasra sustained skull fractures and internal bleeding after he was beaten by an Israeli mob and run over by an Israeli driver.
Videos of Manasra lying bleeding on the ground as Israeli settlers jeered at him elicited global condemnation.
Just hours after his release, Israel issued a house arrest order for Manasra until Sunday, with a financial bail set at 3,000 shekels.
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, said the release of Manasra provides “immense relief” but is not a success.
“Ahmad has endured years of torture, and his family has suffered with him,” Albanese wrote on X.
“I truly hope Ahmed and his family will be able to find the time and space to heal the deep wounds of the tragic past decade,” Albanese said.
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa also said, “Ahmad Manasra’s release today is a huge relief for him and for his family, but nothing can undo the years of injustice, abuse, trauma and ill-treatment he endured behind bars.”
“We express our deepest hope for Ahmad’s recovery from the profound trauma he has suffered. He must be granted adequate access to the healthcare he needs in his native East Jerusalem without any discrimination and he and his family must be protected from any form of intimidation and abuse.”
