The Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Obeid, from the village of Anza, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, was subjected to inhumane treatment and abuse allegedly by Israeli occupation authorities and the Israel Prison Services (IPS), which caused him to lose his memory. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates today condemned this behaviour and deemed it to be a crime that qualifies as a crime against humanity.
In spite of being aware of his health issues and amnesia, the IPS recently freed Obeid after 18 months of detention and left him on the side of the road next to a checkpoint in the southern West Bank without notifying his family. After being reunited with him, his family claimed that he did not recognise them and insisted that he had not previously experienced any health issues and that he had only been ill as a result of torture and ill treatment while being held.
The Israeli government was accused by the foreign ministry of throwing Obeid at a military checkpoint near Hebron, far from his home town, after his release despite being aware of his critical health condition and failing to arrange for his family to pick him up. This was done despite knowing that Obeid was being mistreated and abused while being held until he lost his memory.
“This criminal, inhumane, and racist behaviour reflects what the heroic prisoners in the occupation prisons have to go through, including field executions, killings, and wrecking their health,” news agency WAFA quoted. It also captures the essence of the occupation’s anti-Palestinian policy as a whole.
The ministry demanded that the relevant UN organisations and councils, especially the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Human Rights Council, take responsibility for exposing the scope of this crime and holding the occupying power accountable. The ministry held the Israeli government entirely and directly accountable for this crime against Obeid.
To hold the Israeli war criminals accountable for their actions, it was stated that this crime should be taken before specialised international and national courts.
The Chenab Times News Desk